Olympic gold medalist disqualified from World Championships after refusing handshake with Russian opponent

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Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medalist and four-time individual world champion, was disqualified from this year’s championships in Milan after she refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent Thursday.

The decorated fencer defeated Russian Anna Smirnova, who was competing as a neutral athlete, 15-7, in the women’s individual sabre.

Ukraine's Olga Kharlan, left, and Russia's Anna Smirnova, registered as a neutral athlete, compete during the sabre women's senior individual qualifiers as part of the FIE Fencing World Championships in Milan on Thursday. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images)

Kharlan, 32, did not shake Smirnova’s hand as is mandated by the International Fencing Federation (FIE), but instead offered her blade, a gesture which replaced the handshake rule during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

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Smirnova, 23, offered her hand, and after a brief standoff, Kharlan walked off to celebrate her victory. 

Under the FIE’s most updated rules, competitors must "perform a fencer’s salute and shake hands" and refusal to do so "before the beginning of the bout or after the last hit" results in a black card. 

The FIE did not release a statement regarding Kharlan’s disqualification, but the Fencing Federation of Ukraine announced plans to appeal the decision. 

"The Fencing Federation of Ukraine supports the Olympic champion Olga Kharlan and is deeply indignant at the actions of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), which deprived our leading fencer, the leader of the national team, of the opportunity to continue the