In a highly charged moment at the World Fencing Championships, Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan has been disqualified for declining to shake hands with Russian competitor Anna Smirnova.
This encounter was significant as Kharlan became the first fencer to face a Russian or Belarusian opponent since her homeland's invasion by Russia.
Kharlan emerged victorious with a 15-7 win in Milan, but her refusal to shake hands with Smirnova led to a dramatic protest by the Russian athlete. Instead of offering a handshake, Kharlan presented her sabre to tap blades with Smirnova. The Russian lodged an appeal and staged a 45-minute sit-down protest on the piste.
Eventually, the appeal seemed to be unsuccessful, and Kharlan appeared to advance to the last 32. However, the final results revealed that she had been disqualified from the women's sabre individual event for violating the rules of the sport. In fencing, failing to shake hands results in a black card and expulsion.
As a consequence of her disqualification, Kharlan's scheduled opponent, Bulgaria's Yoanna Ilieva, advanced in the competition. Ukrainian fencers had previously refrained from competing against rivals from Russia and Belarus, who were allowed to participate as neutral athletes due to the 2022 invasion.
The Ukrainian government updated its stance, permitting its athletes to compete against Russian and Belarusian neutral athletes in the World Fencing Championships. Despite the disqualification, Ukraine's fencing federation (NFFU) announced that they would appeal the decision.
The incident also sparked controversy off the piste, with a Ukrainian official sharing a photo of Anna Smirnova with a Russian soldier. The official expressed concern about Smirnova's admiration for the Russian army, which has been involved in the conflict with Ukraine.
Amidst the tensions, Ukrainian team-mate Igor Reizlin, a Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist, was scheduled to compete against Russian Vadim Anokhin but did not appear, resulting in a forfeiture. Photo by © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY 3.0.