TASS, 29 July. The International Fencing Federation (FIE) will change the rules for holding competitions in terms of handshakes at the end of fights after the incident with the Ukrainian saber fencer Olga Kharlan at the World Championships in Milan. This is reported by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
Handshake after fights is obligatory for all participants of the competition, the corresponding paragraph is in the FIE rules. The organization intends to replace handshakes with greetings from a distance. “This will allow the Ukrainians not to approach the Russians, even if they act in a neutral status,” the newspaper notes.
Harlan was disqualified after refusing to shake hands with Russian Anna Smirnova, whom she defeated in the 1/32 finals of the saber fencing tournament at the World Championships in Milan. Smirnova, after the end of the fight with Harlan, did not leave the competitive track for about an hour, waiting for the opponent’s handshake. The Russian woman was not allowed to participate in the next round – her protest was rejected. President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach on Friday, in his letter to Harlan, announced his readiness to provide the Ukrainian fencer with an additional license for the Olympic Games in Paris if she does not get there through qualification.
Later, according to La Repubblica, the FIE executive committee canceled the disqualification of the Ukrainian: Harlan had the right not to shake hands with Smirnova, since the tournament has a protocol to combat coronavirus. Thus, the Ukrainian will be able to compete in the saber team tournament at the World Championships.
2023-07-29 06:55:33
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