2023-07-28 20:58:09
Bruno Garis, a member of the Executive Committee of the International Fencing Federation, said in a press conference that the International Federation has also amended its rules, which no longer require the exchange of handshakes with the opponent.
The suspension of the four-time world champion and the best Ukrainian in the championship affected her country’s chances in the team competitions in the world championships, where points are counted as double in the race to qualify for the Olympic Games.
The interim president of the International Federation, Emmanuel Katsiadakis, said in a press statement that the lifting of the suspension was decided “after consultation with the International Olympic Committee.”
He added that with regard to her individual case, the “unique exception” made by the International Olympic Committee and announced personally by its German President Thomas Bach in a letter guarantees her a place in the 2024 Paris Olympics. An indication that her suspension surprised the Olympic Committee headed by the former fencer Bach.
After Kharlan was suspended, the International Olympic Committee called for a degree of “understanding” towards Ukrainian athletes, saying it was “well aware of the internal tensions that athletes can fall prey to because of the aggression their country is a victim of.”
The reaction of the Olympic Committee angered the President of the Russian Olympic Committee, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, considering that the Olympic movement “works for” Ukraine.
Late Wednesday, the Ukrainian Sports Ministry changed its previous policy of preventing its athletes from facing Russians or Belarusians who compete under a neutral flag.
According to the new policy, Ukrainians are forbidden to face those athletes who “represent the Russian and Belarusian federations”. Smirnova was competing as a neutral.
Contrary to this precedent since the beginning of the invasion, Ukrainian tennis players, as individual athletes who do not represent their country, have been facing Russians and Belarusians as neutral players since February 2022, while avoiding shaking hands with their opponents.
Kharlan, 32, overtook Smirnova, to a standing ovation from about 20 members of the Ukrainian delegation, who were chanting “Slava ukrainian” (Glory to Ukraine).
But soon after that victory, the Ukrainian was excluded from the competition for not shaking hands with Smirnova.
Smirnova, furious at being treated so disrespectfully, lost her composure and stayed on her chair for 10 minutes after the match.
The Ukrainian Fencing Federation was quick to demand Kharlan’s return to the world championship, according to its president, Mykhailo Eliashev, who told reporters, “We have submitted our protest to the Council of the International Fencing Federation.”
He added, “We await the immediate consideration of this protest so that this exclusion is revoked so that the first one can participate in team competitions.”
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