Ukrainian fencer disqualified from World Championships after refusing handshake with Russian opponent

Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medalist and four-time particular person world champion, was disqualified from this 12 months’s championships in Milan after she refused to shake fingers together with her Russian opponent Thursday.

The embellished fencer defeated Russian Anna Smirnova, who was competing as a impartial athlete, 15-7, within the girls’s particular person sabre.

Kharlan, 32, didn’t shake Smirnova’s hand as is remitted by the Worldwide Fencing Federation (FIE), however as a substitute provided her blade, a gesture that changed the handshake rule through the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Smirnova, 23, provided her hand, and after a quick standoff, Kharlan walked off to have fun her victory. 

Underneath the FIE’s most up to date guidelines, opponents should “carry out a fencer’s salute and shake fingers” and refusal to take action “earlier than the start of the bout or after the final hit” leads to a black card. 

The FIE didn’t launch a press release relating to Kharlan’s disqualification, however the Fencing Federation of Ukraine introduced plans to attraction the choice. 

“The Fencing Federation of Ukraine helps the Olympic champion Olga Kharlan and is deeply indignant on the actions of the Worldwide Fencing Federation (FIE), which disadvantaged our main fencer, the chief of the nationwide workforce, of the chance to proceed the battle for awards on the World Championships in Milan,” the federation’s assertion mentioned. 

“The Ukrainian Fencing Federation is getting ready an attraction in opposition to the disqualification resolution and can do every little thing doable in order that Olga Kharlan can compete within the girls’s sabre workforce match on the World Championships in Milan.” 

The workforce occasion is slated to start Saturday. 

After the bout, Kharlan defended her actions, saying her alternative of salute was meant as an indication of respect whereas nonetheless acknowledging the continued battle between Ukraine and Russia. 

“I wished to point out my respect someway as a result of, to start with, I got here to the piste to fence in opposition to her,” she mentioned, by way of NBC Sports activities. 

“No Ukrainian athletes did it earlier than [during the war], so I used to be the primary one, and I confirmed my respect by fencing in opposition to her. And I gained this match clearly and honest.”

Thursday’s match between Kharlan and Smirnova got here simply hours after the Ukrainian authorities introduced it’s going to now not bar its athletes from competing in opposition to Russians who’re collaborating in sporting occasions as “impartial athletes,” a major easing of its boycott coverage a 12 months earlier than the Paris Olympics.