Disqualified Ukraine fencer says ‘we’ll never shake hands with Russians’
- Olha Kharlan says FIE president assured her it was possible not to shake hands and offer a touch of her blade instead
- Russian fencer Anna Smirnova, who is registered as an Individual Neutral Athlete, stages an hour-long protest
Ukranian fencer Olha Kharlan, who was controversially disqualified from the World Championships for not shaking hands with a Russian opponent, defiantly insisted on Thursday, “we will never shake hands with them.”
Kharlan, 32, claimed she had approval to snub Russian rival Anna Smirnova, who was registered as an Individual Neutral Athlete, by the head of the sport’s federation, despite the gesture being a key feature of post-bout rituals.
“My message today is that we Ukrainian athletes are ready to face Russians on the sports field but we will never shake hands with them,” the four-time world champion said.
She claimed Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), had even assured her it was “possible” not to shake hands and instead offer a touch of her blade following her victory.
“I thought I had his word, to be safe, but apparently, no,” Kharlan said of Katsiadakis, who succeeded Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov as head of the ruling body in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.