Ukraine fencing star Olha Kharlan breaks silence over disqualification

Ukraine fencing star Olha Kharlan breaks silence after being disqualified for refusing to shake hands with Russian opponent

• Olha Kharlan defeated Russian fencer Anna Smirnova in Milan yesterday
• But the Ukrainian was disqualified when she refused to shake Smirnova’s hand

A Ukrainian fencing star who was disqualified from the world fencing championships for refusing to shake hands with her beaten Russian opponent on Thursday has slammed the decision and accused the tournament’s chief of not keeping his word.

Olha Kharlan, the first athlete officially representing Ukraine to face a Russian or Belarusian opponent since Moscow’s invasion of her country in February 2022, opted against shaking the hand of Anna Smirnova.

Instead, she offered a touch of her blade after the bout at the tournament in Milan on Thursday. Smirnova responded by staging an hour-long sit-in protest.

Tournament organisers appeared to cave in to the Russian’s demands when they disqualified Kharlan, who has since spoken out over the incident.

She claimed that Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the interim president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), had assured her that it was ‘possible’ not to shake hands and offer a touch of her blade instead, and said she had his word she would be ‘safe’.

A Ukrainian fencing star who was disqualified from the world fencing championships for refusing to shake hands with her beaten Russian opponent on Thursday (pictured) has slammed the decision, accusing Russia of ‘terrorising our sport’ 

Ukraine’s four-time world sabre champion Olha Kharlan (left) faced off against Russian Anna Smirnova (right) on Thursday at the world championships in Milan, and beat her decisively

In a video on Instagram to her supporters, Kharlan said: ‘We understood that the country [Russia] that terrorises our state, our people, our families – also terrorises our sport.’

Kharlan outclassed Smirnova winning 15-7 and was cheered on by around 20 members of the Ukrainian delegation chanting ‘Slava Ukraini’ (‘Glory to Ukraine’). 

Smirnova, furious at the handshake snub as well as her defeat, refused to leave the arena and sat on a chair for an hour in protest, demanding a disqualification.

READ MORE: Victorious Ukrainian fencing star refuses to shake hands with Russian opponent – and is then DISQUALIFIED

The rules of the international federation (FIE) state that ‘the two fencers must shake hands once the result is given.’ Failure can result in a ‘black card’, or disqualification.

‘My message today is that we Ukrainian athletes are ready to face Russians on the sports field but we will never shake hands with them,’ four-time world champion Kharlan told several journalists, including a reporter from AFP.

She also accused Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek interim president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), of breaking his word.

‘I thought I had his word, to be safe, but apparently, no,’ Kharlan said of Katsiadakis who succeeded Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov as head of the ruling body in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In a video on Instagram to her supporters, Kharlan said: ‘We understood that the country [Russia] that terrorises our state, our people, our families – also terrorises our sport.

‘When I head that they wanted to disqualify me and give me a black card, I was shocked. I was so shocked I was screaming in pain.’

But she said, she soon got over the disappointment and was instead fired-up, before thanking all those who showed her support.

‘But then I became alive because of the support from each and every one of you, the support from our frontline heroes who protect us,’ she said.

‘When I head that I motivate them, I can’t express my emotions in words. I am so grateful to you all. I am grateful to each soldier who protects us. And like everyone in this world, I know that the rules have to change. Because the world is changing.

Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan celebrates defeating Russia’s Anna Smirnova, registered as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN), during the Sabre Women’s Senior Individual qualifiers, as part of the FIE Fencing World Championships in Milan, on July 27

Kharlan (left) came out victorious, but as Smirnova (right) stepped forward at the end of the bout to shake hands, the Ukrainian instead held out her blade to stop her approaching (pictured)

Despite the Ukrainian (left) saying ahead of the contest that she would refuse to shake Smirnova’s hand, the Russian (right) struck a bemused figure on the piste, before staging a sulking hour-long protest over the snub

Smirnova, furious at the snub and her loss, stood her ground and was still sitting on her chair for around an hour after the bout (pictured) demanding her opponent be disqualified

An official of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) speaks to Russia’s Anna Smirnova

The Ukrainian fencing federation has demanded Kharlan be reinstated.

‘We have already submitted our protest to the Bureau of the International Fencing Federation,’ the President of Ukraine’s Fencing Federation Mykhaylo Ilyashev told journalists.

‘We are waiting for the immediate consideration of this protest, so that this disqualification is cancelled and Olha can take part in team competitions.’

Four-time sabre world champion Kharlan had told AFP news agency in a recent interview that she would not shake hands with a Russian rival.

Kharlan, 32, had only been given the green light to compete at 0600GMT on Thursday, 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 as a neutral, but images on social media have shown her with her brother wearing Russian military uniform, causing further anger.

The incident has sparked a furious reaction in Ukraine.

‘The decision (to disqualify) is the manifestation of a complete lack of empathy, misunderstanding of the emotional context and is absolutely shameful,’ Ukraine presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak wrote on social media. 

Taking to Twitter to express his anger over the incident, former boxing world champion Vladimir Klitschko (who is also the brother of Vitali, Kyiv’s mayor) write: ‘Olga Kharlan refused to shake hands with the opponent she just beat. 

‘The sporting authorities decided to withdraw her victory. Olga kept her honour. She refused to shake the bloodied hand of a fake ‘neutral’ sportswoman, who proudly poses here with her brother.’

Along with the message, he shared a picture of Smirnova posing with her brother in military uniform while wearing a Russian military hat.

While the position of president of the fencing federation is currently vacant, Klitschko pointed out that it was most recently occupied by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov (until 2022), who in the past has also been a shareholder in London-based Arsenal football club (until 2018) and later Liverpool-based Everton FC.

‘We fully support Olga Kharlan in this situation. We are preparing a protest,’ Mykhailo Illiashev, president of Ukraine’s fencing federation (NFFU), said in televised comments broadcast on Thursday.

‘We will appeal this decision, because the referee who judged this match did not give directly a black card or disqualify her.

‘It was only later that the underhanded games began and this disqualification appeared already after the next opponent was determined, already after a judge for the next competition was determined.’

Illiashev said the NFFU anticipate the appeal to be considered within the next few days. ‘In this case, we will seek to cancel this black card because this disqualification will make it impossible for her to participate in the team competition, which will be held in Milan in a few days,’ Illiashev said.

‘And it is important for us that our team performs.’

Fencer Anna Smirnova is seen posing with a man in Russian military uniform, which according to Instagram is her brother. She was competing under a neutral flag in the fencing tournament

Left: Russian fencer Anna Smirnova. Right: Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan

Russian fencer Anna Smirnova poses for a photo posted on her Instagram 

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, sparking other controversial moments.

‘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.

That new ruling came too late for Igor Reizlin, who withdrew from his bout against a Russian on Wednesday.

Kharlan was livid with the IOC and the FIE for permitting Russians and Belarusians to compete again, albeit as neutrals. 

Fencing was the first sport to open their doors in March.

‘How are Ukrainian athletes meant to feel when the IOC should be on our side and delivering justice but in fact they are doing things totally against us?’ she said in an AFP interview earlier this month.

She expressed doubts about Ukraine’s policy of barring athletes from events where Russians and Belarusians were competing.

Ukraine’s judokas were pulled out of the world championships earlier this year because Russians and Belarusians were present.

The IOC is yet to make a final decision over allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete in the Paris Olympics. That leaves open a potential change of mind by Ukraine over a boycott.

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine (right) shakes hands with the umpire before avoiding shaking hands with Aryna Sabalenka as she looks on after their Women’s Singles First Round Match on Day One of the at Roland Garros on May 28

Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka gestures after losing her fourth round match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who signalled her intention to refuse her opponent’s handshake, July 9

Ukraine signalled yesterday it will no longer bar its athletes from competing against Russians who are taking part in sporting events as ‘neutral athletes,’ a significant easing of its boycott policy a year before the Paris Olympics. Pictured: The official Omega Olympic countdown clock located beside the River Seine displays the 366 remaining days until the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

‘We have not yet taken a decision regarding the Olympics,’ Vadym Gutzeit, Ukrainian Sports Minister and a former Olympic fencing gold medallist himself, told Le Monde newspaper on Tuesday.

‘We await the final decision to see if (the Russians and Belarusians) will be given the green light to compete or not.’

On Thursday, the IOC said they were encouraging ‘international federations to handle situations involving Ukrainian and individual neutral athletes with the necessary degree of sensitivity’.

They added in a statement: ‘We continue to stand in full solidarity with the Ukrainian athletes and the Olympic community of Ukraine.’

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