Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medalist and four-time individual world champion, was disqualified from this yr’s championships in Milan after she refused to shake hands together with her Russian opponent Thursday.
The decorated fencer defeated Russian Anna Smirnova, who was competing as a neutral athlete, 15-7, in the ladies’s individual sabre.
Kharlan, 32, didn’t shake Smirnova’s hand as is remitted by the International Fencing Federation (FIE), but as an alternative offered her blade, a gesture that replaced the handshake rule in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smirnova, 23, offered her hand, and after a temporary standoff, Kharlan walked off to rejoice her victory.
Under the FIE’s most updated rules, competitors must “perform a fencer’s salute and shake hands” and refusal to accomplish that “before the start of the bout or after the last hit” ends in a black card.
The FIE didn’t release a press release regarding Kharlan’s disqualification, however the Fencing Federation of Ukraine announced plans to appeal the choice.
“The Fencing Federation of Ukraine supports the Olympic champion Olga Kharlan and is deeply indignant on the actions of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), which deprived our leading fencer, the leader of the national team, of the chance to proceed the fight for awards on the World Championships in Milan,” the federation’s statement said.
“The Ukrainian Fencing Federation is preparing an appeal against the disqualification decision and can do all the things possible in order that Olga Kharlan can compete in the ladies’s sabre team tournament on the World Championships in Milan.”
The team event is slated to start Saturday.
After the bout, Kharlan defended her actions, saying her alternative of salute was meant as an indication of respect while still acknowledging the continuing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
“I wanted to point out my respect by some means because, initially, I got here to the piste to fence against her,” she said, via NBC Sports.
“No Ukrainian athletes did it before [during the war], so I used to be the primary one, and I showed my respect by fencing against her. And I won this match clearly and fair.”
Thursday’s match between Kharlan and Smirnova got here just hours after the Ukrainian government announced it’ll not bar its athletes from competing against Russians who’re participating in sporting events as “neutral athletes,” a big easing of its boycott policy a yr before the Paris Olympics.
