Ukraine’s Olha Kharlan was disqualified in a decision labelled “absolutely shameful” by the Ukrainian presidency for not shaking the hand of her beaten Russian opponent Anna Smirnova at the Fencing World Championships on Thursday. The decision,” wrote presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak on social media, “is the manifestation of a complete lack of empathy, misunderstanding of the emotional context and is absolutely shameful.”
Four-time sabre world champion Kharlan had told AFP a fortnight ago she would not shake hands with a Russian if she fought one. She had earlier on Thursday become the first athlete officially representing Ukraine to face a Russian or Belarusian opponent since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), Uzbekistan-born Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov stood down following the invasion. FIE’s rules say: “The two fencers must shake hands once the result is given. Kharlan, 32, had been given the green light only at 0600GMT on Thursday morning, hours after the Ukraine sports ministry changed its previous policy of barring athletes from facing Russians or Belarusians competing as neutrals.
Under the new policy, Ukrainians cannot face athletes who “represent the Russian Federation and Belarus”. Smirnova was competing in Milan as a neutral.
Ukrainian tennis players have been playing Russians and Belarusians since the invasion, but as individuals not representing their country. They too have avoided shaking hands.
“They are right not to shake hands, I cannot imagine a scenario where I would,” Kharlan told AFP. We have different fronts, we also have sport which is about the fight and the struggle.”
The change of tack by the Ukrainian sports ministry reduced the chances of a boycott of the Paris Olympics next year.
The statement read they would not send national teams “to participate in international sports competitions, in which athletes representing the Russian Federation and/or the Republic of Belarus participate under their national flags, and/or use their own national symbols, and/or express their affiliation with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus by their public actions or statements. This relaxation of the policy permits Ukrainian athletes to compete and earn invaluable qualifying points for the Games.
Source: eNCA
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