Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan was awarded a place in the 2024 Paris Olympics by the IOC on Friday after she was disqualified at the world championships for refusing to shake the hand of her Russian opponent.

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) also said it was reinstating Kharlan, allowing her to take part in the team competition at the world championships in Milan.

Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek president of the FIE, said the decision had been taken “after consultation with the International Olympic Committee”.

Kharlan, the first fencer to face a Russian or Belarusian since the former’s invasion of Ukraine, won 15-7 against Russia’s Anna Smirnova on Thursday.

The 32-year-old four-time Olympic medallist refused Smirnova’s handshake afterwards, instead offering her sabre to tap blades, but FIE rules state that the two fencers must shake hands.

Smirnova staged a 45-minute protest and refused to leave the competition strip.

Kharlan was disqualified, claiming afterwards that Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek president of the FIE, had even assured her that it was “possible” not to shake hands and offer a touch of her blade instead following her victory.

“I thought I had his word, to be safe, but apparently, no,” Kharlan said.

In response to her disqualification, the International Olympic Committee called for Ukrainian athletes to be treated “sensitively”.

Then on Friday, IOC President Thomas Bach, a former Olympic fencer himself, sent Kharlan a letter saying she would be guaranteed a place at next year’s Olympics in Paris regardless of whether she gained the qualification points.

  • LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml
    138·
    1 year ago

    The US, the UK, most of western Europe have done far worse to countries across the globe and presumably they have their hands shaken all the time at these events. This girl is not responsible for America’s latest war.

    • Kata1yst@kbin.social
      312·
      1 year ago

      Oh, because someone did something worse, that makes this okay? Grow up, or go tilt at windmills.

      Tu Quoque.

      • Addfwyn@lemmy.ml
        111·
        1 year ago

        Their point is the double standard. Either apply it consistently or not at all. If athletes are representing their country in all aspects when competing internationally, all athletes should be held to that standard.

        If an athlete refused to shake a USian athletes hand because of the war crimes of their country, including ones ongoing at this very moment, you would be on board with it then? There would be precious few handshakes that could be given out on international sporting stages, that is for sure.

        • Kata1yst@kbin.social
          210·
          1 year ago

          No one asked me. No double standard here my friend. I call a military industrial complex what it is AND manage to see the Russian genocide of Ukraine for what IT is.

          If you’ve got problems with your opponent tapping a sabre instead of a handshake for the opponent’s press to run through the disinformation mill is more then sufficient.

          • LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml
            43·
            1 year ago

            Please don’t call things you don’t like “genocide”. It’s immature and shows you up to be an unserious drama queen.

              • LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml
                22·
                1 year ago

                Pure propaganda. Don’t be so gullible. If this was genocide half the US military and political elites would be rotting. They don’t even recognise the court and have threatened to invade the NL if they’re ever charged.

                • Kata1yst@kbin.social
                  12·
                  1 year ago

                  And from my perspective, you have no interest in arguing in good faith, or engaging in critical thinking on this topic.

                  It’s unfortunate, but neither of us is benefiting from further conversation here.

                  I wish you well.

    • Karma_Police@lemmy.pt
      110·
      1 year ago

      Maybe if they get their hands shaken all the time at these events, it means they haven’t done “far worse”…

      • LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml
        82·
        1 year ago

        How many innocent people do you think the US has killed in the past 20 years? Just take a guess, in millions, obviously.

        • Kata1yst@kbin.social
          33·
          1 year ago

          Far more than it should be.

          Why does this matter to the issue at hand? The issue here is with Russia and Ukraine. Why are you mudding the waters with a new topic? USA bad doesn’t mean people can’t think Russia bad.