Special envoy to ParisA few months ago, the president of the International Olympic Committee sent a letter addressed to one of the best fencing specialists in the world, the Ukrainian Olga Kharlan, assuring her that she would be at the Olympics, that she could compete even though the they had been sanctioned at the world championships and had been eliminated in this qualifying test to be in Paris. Bach has kept his word and Kharlan will be today at the elegant Grand Palais, the beautiful 100-year-old glass palace that serves as the home of the fencing competition. She will be there with heavy security measures and many Ukrainians ready to cheer her on, as, in addition to being a champion, she has become a spokesperson. An activist who calls for sanctions against Russia whenever she can.
Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medalist, has explained these days that she sometimes competes without knowing if her relatives who live in Ukraine are still alive, since more than once, when she has called them, they have not answered because of Russian bombings. “I came to consider retiring, it was difficult for me to concentrate on fencing, but I have decided to continue,” adds Kharlan, whom Thomas Bach praised in that letter at the end of 2023: “It is admirable how you are doing carrying this incredibly difficult situation”, said the leader. Each Olympic sport has limited places for qualifying athletes, but organizers always leave the door open to invite athletes in exceptional cases. like this one
It all started a year ago during the World Fencing Championships in Milan, Italy, when Kharlan, 32, reached the semi-finals by clearly defeating Russia’s Anna Smirnova 15 to 7. But at the end of the bout, he refused to shake hands with his rival. And the rules of fencing defend that you must respect your opponent by saluting him at the end of each match. Kharlan, in fact, had asked permission from Kyiv to face this rival, as the Ukrainian government was then calling for a boycott of competitions involving Russian rivals. The sports ministry gave him permission, but Kharlan did not want to shake hands with Smirnova, who was not competing under the Russian flag. For years now, Russian athletes have not been able to do it in events like that World Cup or the Olympic Games. After that fight, Kharlan held out his sword to Smirnova, presenting it in case her rival wanted to return the gesture. A way of greeting without physical contact. Smirnova’s reaction was to refuse to leave the court, where she was for more than 45 minutes, to the point where her trainers brought her a chair to sit on. Smirnova argued that if she was not greeted by Kharlan on the court, she should be disqualified. According to the regulations, not saluting means being penalized with a black card, which is equivalent to a disqualification and a two-month ban. While the officials of the Fencing Federation analyzed the case, Smirnova continued on the track, preventing it from being used for other bouts. In the end, the judges decided to eliminate Kharlan. “It was one of the worst days of my life. I cried like never before for two hours, sitting on the floor, feeling helpless, in a mixture of anger and grief. Then I started getting messages, a lot of messages, on Instagram. I received 100,000 in one day. They thanked me for the hope and determination. They also harassed me, my address, my phone number called me, they sent me photos of dead Ukrainian soldiers,” Kharlan recalls.
The reaction of the International Olympic Committee was to send a letter signed by Bach to Kharlan assuring him that he could be in Paris. In this case, Kharlan will not be able to face any Russians, since there are none. Angered by sanctions received in recent years by the IOC, first for doping and then for the attack in Ukraine, Moscow has almost boycotted the Games, although some Russian athletes participate under the name “Neutral Olympic Athletes”. None, however, in women’s fencing.
Kharlan recalled before his debut that his parents “live in Mikolaiv, where there are about five bombardment warning sirens a day.” He also stated: “My sister returned to Kyiv, where my nephew goes to a nursery school. There are days when I don’t look at my phone. During a competition, I saw that Kyiv had been attacked ten minutes before I was supposed to “enter the track. I called my family. That’s the worst. I never know, it’s a lottery. I got used to not knowing if they are.” alive. I’ve been working a lot mentally with my psychologist on this issue for two and a half years.” These days, when everyone seems happy inside the elegant Grand Palais, Kharlan will once again be out racing without looking at his phone.
Source: www.ara.cat
