Ukrainian Fencer Disqualified for Refusing Handshake Gets Chance at Paris Olympics

Refusal to Shake Hands with Russian Athlete at World Championships
IOC Promises "Additional Quota Allocation Considering Special Circumstances"

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has guaranteed the participation of Ukrainian athlete Olha Kharlan, who was disqualified after refusing to shake hands with a Russian opponent during the World Championships.

On the 28th (local time), the IOC sent a letter signed by President Thomas Bach to Kharlan, stating, "Considering your special circumstances, even if you do not qualify for the Paris Olympics during the remaining period, we will allocate an additional quota for you." The letter also added, "During this extremely difficult time, the IOC will continue to stand in full solidarity with Ukrainian athletes and the Ukrainian Olympic community."

Kharlan won 15-7 against Russian athlete Anna Smirnova in the women's sabre individual round of 64 at the 2023 World Championships held in Milan, Italy, the previous day. However, she was disqualified for refusing to shake hands with Smirnova after the match.

Ukrainian fencing athlete Olha Kharlan [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

According to the International Fencing Federation (FIE) regulations, both athletes must shake hands after the match result is announced. However, Kharlan left the venue refusing to shake hands with Smirnova, who is from Russia, the country that invaded her homeland, Ukraine. After Kharlan left, Smirnova placed a chair on the piste (fencing court) and sat there for about 50 minutes to express her protest, after which Kharlan was disqualified.

Russian fencer Smirnova, who was refused a handshake by Harlan, is sitting on a chair placed on the piste.
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

Kharlan is a leading figure in Ukrainian fencing, having won the individual World Championships four times and contributing to Ukraine's victory in the women's sabre team event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The disqualification of a Ukrainian athlete for refusing to shake hands caused an uproar both inside and outside the venue.

After being disqualified, Kharlan posted on her social media, "Today was a very difficult but important day," adding, "I did not want to shake hands with that athlete, and I acted according to my feelings." She continued, "When I heard they were going to disqualify me, it was so painful I wanted to scream," and added, "In a normal world, as the world changes, the rules should also change." In an interview with the media, Kharlan said, "The most important thing for an athlete is to compete for the family, team, country, and everyone who supports me," and expressed gratitude for all the support she received worldwide during these difficult days.

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