Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan was disqualified from the world championships on Tuesday after refusing to shake hands with her Russian opponent, Anna Smirnova, following their bout. Kharlan won the first-round match, 15-7, but the International Fencing Federation (FIE) did not allow her to continue in the tournament.
According to NBC Sports, Kharlan walked toward Smirnova and held out her sabre at the end of the bout. Smirnova reached out for a handshake, and the two stayed there for a moment before Kharlan walked away.
Smirova reportedly sat on the strip for 45-50 minutes in protest, which caused a delay in competition. Eventually, Kharlan was given a black card for violating FIE rule t.122B, which says fencers must "salute and shake hands with their opponent" after a match.
Kharlan was the first Ukrainian fencer to face a Russian or Belarusian opponent since Ukraine changed its policy that recommended athletes not partake in events where athletes from those two countries were allowed to compete. Ukraine's policy now states that Ukrainian athletes may go against Russian and Belarusian opponents as long as they are competing under a neutral banner.
The good news for Kharlan is that, the very next day, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach guaranteed her a spot at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Bach, who is a former fencer, said he thought Kharlan was treated unfairly.
"As a fellow fencer, it is impossible for me to imagine how you feel at this moment," Bach said in a letter to Kharlan, per Yahoo Sports. "Given your unique situation, the International Olympic Committee will allocate an additional quota place to you for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in case you will not be able to qualify in the remaining period."
In conjunction with the IOC's decision, FIE president Emmanuel Katsiadakis announced that the organization was reinstating Kharlan and would allow her to compete with her team at the world championships.
