"Can't Shake Hands with Russians" Ukrainian Fencing Athlete Disqualified

Ruh Player Sits on Field for 50 Minutes in Protest
Disqualified Ukrainian Player Called 'Unsportsmanlike'
"I Will Never Shake Hands with Them," Expresses Feelings

At the 2023 Fencing World Championships, a Ukrainian athlete was disqualified after refusing to shake hands with a Russian competitor following their match.

Allha Harlan player. [Image source - Instagram]

According to the British daily The Guardian and others on the 27th (local time), in the women's sabre round of 64 at the World Championships held in Milan, Italy, Ukraine's Olha Kharlan faced off against Russian-born athlete Anna Smirnova. After the match, Kharlan refused to shake hands with Smirnova, resulting in her disqualification, the reports stated.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Russian and Belarusian athletes who supported the invasion have faced sanctions, including bans from participating in various international sports competitions.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled earlier this year that discriminating against athletes based on nationality contradicts the Olympic spirit, allowing athletes from these countries to participate in competitions that serve as qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Russian and Belarusian athletes were permitted to compete as neutral athletes, not representing their countries.

Accordingly, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) granted this status to 17 Russian-born athletes in May, and these neutral-status athletes competed in the European Championships in June and the recent World Championships.

In the match, Kharlan decisively defeated Smirnova with a score of 15-7.

After the match, as the two athletes faced each other, Smirnova approached Kharlan to shake hands. However, Kharlan extended her saber and kept her distance, ultimately leaving the piste without shaking hands.

Smirnova placed a chair on the piste and sat there for 50 minutes to express her protest. According to FIE competition rules, both athletes must shake hands after the match result is declared. Because of this, Kharlan was disqualified for "unsportsmanlike conduct."

After the match, Harlan (left) refuses to shake hands, extending a sword toward Smirnova.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kharlan has won the World Championships individual title four times and was a key figure in Ukrainian fencing, contributing to Ukraine's women's sabre team gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Her disqualification shocked fans even more.

Kharlan posted a video on social media, saying, "Today was very difficult but important," and added, "What happened today raises many questions."

She stated, "I did not want to shake hands with that athlete, and I acted according to my feelings," and shared, "When I heard they were going to disqualify me, it was so painful I almost screamed."

She continued, "Like everyone else in this world, I believe that in a normal world, as the world changes, the rules should also change."

In an interview, Kharlan also confirmed that FIE President Emmanuel Kachiadakis (Greece) acknowledged that touching sabers instead of shaking hands is acceptable, emphasizing, "We will never shake hands with them."

Smirnova was refused a handshake by Harlan and sat on the piste for 50 minutes to express her protest.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, wrote on social media, "Kharlan competed fairly, won, and showed dignity," urging the FIE to restore her rights and allow her to continue competing.

Regarding Smirnova, he said, "She lost in fair competition and engaged in dirty play with the 'handshake show.' This is exactly how the Russian military behaves on the battlefield," strongly criticizing her.

Encounters between Ukrainian and Russian-born athletes in sports competitions have become more frequent. In women's professional tennis, Ukrainian players often face Russian and Belarusian opponents, and it has become common for Ukrainian athletes not to shake hands with players from these countries after matches.

Meanwhile, at the Judo World Championships held in Doha, Qatar, last May, when Russian athletes were allowed to participate, Ukraine withdrew from the competition.

In response, Daria Bilodid, the 2019 World Judo Championships women's 48kg champion and 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist from Ukraine, criticized on her social media, "I cannot accept allowing soldiers from a terrorist state that kills Ukrainians every day to participate in international competitions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.