Ukrainian Fencer Guaranteed Olympics Spot After Refusal To Shake Russian Opponent’s Hand Led To Disqualification - Forbes

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Topline

The International Olympic Committee will guarantee Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan—a former gold medalist—a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a day after Kharlan was disqualified from a tournament for refusing to shake hands with a Russian opponent she had beaten.

Key Facts

IOC president Thomas Bach—who is also a former gold medalist in fencing—wrote a letter to Kharlan on Friday indicating the committee would “allocate an additional quota place” for her in case she “will not be able to qualify in the remaining period.”

Each Olympic sport has a strict quota for how many athletes are able to compete as part of the IOC’s overall total of 10,500, according to the Associated Press.

Kharlan was disqualified from the world championships in Milan on Thursday, which prevented her from earning additional ranking points, putting her Olympic qualification in jeopardy.

The IOC said shortly after the incident that sports governing bodies should “handle situations involving Ukrainian and individual neutral athletes with the necessary degree of sensitivity.”

Crucial Quote

“It is admirable how you are managing this incredibly difficult situation, and I would like to express my full support to you,” Bach wrote to Kharlan, whom he acknowledged was experiencing “a roller coaster of emotions and feelings.”

Chief Critic

Stanislav Pozdnyakov, head of Russia’s Olympic Committee, said Friday that the IOC had “picked a side in the political conflict” and was working to “neutralize our citizens and organization in sports.”

Contra

Konstantin Lokhanov, a former top-ranked Russian fencer, said Kharlan had “made the right decision,” adding he didn’t “see any reason why this Russian woman had to make that drama,” referring to Kharlan’s defeated opponent, according to the New York Times.

Key Background

Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medalist, defeated Anna Smirnova 15-7 in a first-round contest at the Fencing World Championships in Milan on Thursday. Smirnova—a Russian who was competing as a neutral athlete—moved to shake Kharlan’s hand after the match, though Kharlan refused, and instead opted to point her sabre toward Smirnova. Opponents previously touched blades as an alternative to handshakes during the pandemic, according to the Associated Press. Smirova subsequently refused to leave her position on the floor in protest, while Kharlan was later disqualified by the International Fencing Federation. The match followed a decision by Ukraine’s sports ministry to lift its ban on its athletes from competing against Russian and Belarusian athletes. Russian and Belarusian athletes are able to compete at the upcoming Olympics as independent athletes, as neither country is formally invited to participate amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Tangent

Former top-ranked tennis player Victoria Azarenka, who is from Belarus, was booed earlier this month following a fourth-round loss to Elina Svitolina, a Ukrainian, at Wimbledon. Both Azarenka and Svitolina acknowledged the crowd did not understand why Azarenka did not shake hands with Svitolina, who said prior to the match she would refuse to shake hands with players from Russia or Belarus. Azarenka said she “respected” Svitolina’s decision, noting she gave her a congratulatory wave. Svitolina—who said the crowd would have acted similarly if she had lost—subsequently called for tennis organizations to prevent any handshakes between Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian athletes.