During the Fencing World Championships, held from Saturday, July 22nd, to Sunday, July 30th, in Milan, Olga Kharlan became the first Ukrainian fencer to face a Russian opponent since the start of the war. As reported by RMC Sport, on Thursday, at the end of the bout, Kharlan refused to salute her opponent, Anna Smirnova. This gesture led to her disqualification, with no reprieve for the Russian fencer.
The match between the two athletes took place in the round of 32 of the Fencing World Championships. Despite her victory (15-7), Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan will not continue in the competition. She violated the rules by refusing to salute her opponent, Anna Smirnova, at the end of the bout. Kharlan simply presented her saber without performing the customary salute.
In response to this breach of protocol, the Russian fencer expressed her disagreement by remaining on the piste for 45 minutes, showing her protest and perhaps hoping that the result could be overturned. However, even though the international federation ultimately disqualified Kharlan, the Russian fencer will not be reinstated, as she had already been declared the loser.
It is worth noting that this clash between Kharlan and Smirnova could have never taken place. Until last Wednesday, a decree from the Ukrainian Ministry of Sports banned athletes from the country from participating in any competition where Russian athletes were present, even if they competed under a neutral flag. However, on Wednesday evening, the decree was amended to exclude the prohibition regarding athletes participating under a neutral flag.
This amendment paved the way for the long-awaited showdown between Kharlan and Smirnova. Nonetheless, the presence of Russian fencers in the discipline’s competitions is not well-received by athletes from other countries. In March, a petition was launched by over 300 athletes, urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Fencing Federation (FIE) to reconsider their decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete again.
