Disqualified Ukrainian fencer Kharlan reinstated, will have Paris Olympics place.

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) announced[1] on July 28 it was reinstating Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan, allowing her to take part in the team competition at the world championships in Italy. Kharlan won the match in Milan against Russian fencer Anna Smirnova on July 27, who was competing under a neutral flag. At the end, Kharlan refused to shake hands with her opponent, instead offering her sabre to tap blades.

Kharlan was disqualified since shaking an opponent's hand is mandatory in fencing, and failure to do so results in a "black card." Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the President of the FIE, said the decision had been taken "after consultation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC)." The IOC has urged[2] international sporting governing bodies to treat contests between Ukrainians and neutral athletes (implying Russian and Belarus athletes) "with the necessary degree of sensitivity" after Kharlan's disqualification.

On July 28, IOC President Thomas Bach sent Kharlan a letter saying she would be guaranteed a place at next year's Olympics in Paris: "As a fellow fencer, it is impossible for me to imagine how you feel at this moment," Bach wrote, according to AFP[3]. "Given your unique situation, the International Olympic Committee will allocate an additional quota place to you for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in case you will not be able to qualify in the remaining period," read Bach's letter. He added: "Rest assured that the IOC will continue to stand in full solidarity with the Ukrainian athletes and the Olympic community of Ukraine during these extremely difficult times."

IOC urges international sporting federations to show 'sensitivity' after Ukrainian fencer disqualified

The International Olympic Committee has urged international sporting governing bodies to treat contests between Ukrainians and neutral athletes (implying Russian athletes) "with the necessary degree of sensitivity" after Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan was disqualified from the FIE Fencing World Champ...

[4] Olena Goncharova

Development manager, Canadian correspondent

Olena Goncharova is a development manager and Canadian correspondent for the Kyiv Independent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper's Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta.

Olena has a master's degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv.

Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months.

The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.

References

  1. ^ announced (amp.dw.com)
  2. ^ has urged (kyivindependent.com)
  3. ^ AFP (www.france24.com)
  4. ^ IOC urges international sporting federations to show 'sensitivity' after Ukrainian fencer disqualifiedThe International Olympic Committee has urged international sporting governing bodies to treat contests between Ukrainians and neutral athletes (implying Russian athletes) "with the necessary degree of sensitivity" after Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan was disqualified from the FIE Fencing World Champ... (kyivindependent.com)

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