Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan was disqualified from the World Fencing Championship in Milan on Thursday after she refused to shake hands with Russian competitor Anna Smirnova. Smirnova remained on the field for over half an hour after the incident and spoke with several officials before leaving.
Mikhailo Iliashiv, the president of the Ukrainian Fencing Federation, said in media statements, "We fully support Olha Kharlan in this situation. We are preparing to appeal." He added, "We will contest this decision because the referee who officiated the match did not directly issue her a black card or expel her."
Gold medalist in the team saber event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Hotsait, stated that Smirnova "approached (Kharlan) and provoked her and raised her hand for a long time and waited."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba noted that Smirnova "lost in a fair competition and decided to play a dirty role with the handshake. This is exactly how the Russian army behaves on the battlefield."
Moreover, Ukrainian athletes in other sports, including tennis players Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, have also refused to shake hands with competitors from Russia and Belarus following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as Moscow used Belarus as a launch pad for what it describes as a special military operation.
In fencing regulations, shaking hands is mandatory, and those who violate this rule are penalized.
