Until Monday, Olga Harlan was known primarily as the Ukrainian fencer who refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent. Now she’s the Ukrainian fencer who refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent and Ukraine’s first 2024 Olympic medalist.
Karlan defeated Choi Se Bin of South Korea 15-14, a victory that required a remarkable comeback from six points down. This victory earned Karlan the bronze medal in the women’s sabre. After this big win, Karlan dedicated her performance and medal to her country.
“I dedicate this award to all the athletes who couldn’t be here because of Russia.”
Olga Carlin wins bronze medal in Paris #Olympic. pic.twitter.com/G9TDBmu14Q
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) July 30, 2024
“I brought a medal home to my country. It’s my first medal. It’s a good start for all the athletes here because it’s really tough to compete when your country is at war,” Karlan told reporters. “Every medal is like a gold medal. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bronze medal, it’s a gold medal.”
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Harlan’s homeland has been devastated by war. The toll on the country has been immeasurable. But the toll on the country’s athletes has been just as horrific. 487 Ukrainian athletes have died since the start of the fighting. As a result, Ukraine’s 2024 Olympic team will be made up of just 140 athletes, the smallest in the history of the Summer Olympics.
Karlan’s refusal to shake hands with a Russian fencer at the 2023 World Fencing Championships, which is considered a key qualifier for the Summer Olympics, has resulted in her being disqualified from the tournament, receiving a two-month suspension and putting her Olympic dream in grave jeopardy.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a “special exception” to allow Karlan to compete in Paris, and fencing’s international governing body later lifted her two-month ban.
“I can tell you I wouldn’t want to change anything,” Karlan told reporters about her journey to the Olympics. “What I’ve been through is representative of what my country is going through. I wouldn’t want to change anything. This is my story.”
