Olympic champion Olha Charlan led the Ukraine national saber team to the quarterfinals at the Fencing World Championships in Milan. Two days after the 32-year-old was disqualified after beating Russia’s Anna Smirnova (23), who competed under a neutral flag, for refusing to shake hands, the four-time team world champion presented herself in good shape.
Charlan won their battles in the 45:7 against Uzbekistan and in the 45:33 against Italy. In the quarterfinals, the Ukrainians meet the USA. The German saber fencers had lost in the round of 16 with 32:45 against Azerbaijan.
The world fencing association FIE defended the Charlan disqualification late on Friday evening, but lifted it just like the handshake rule. The decision was made in accordance with the Olympic spirit, said FIE interim president Emmanuel Katsiadakis after consultations with the International Olympic Committee.
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“As the world is facing major and important challenges, the FIE is adapting the rules in the general interest of the athletes and the federations, while also respecting our sport,” quoted the “Spiegel” on Saturday as FIE Executive Committee member Bruno Gares France.
IOC boss Thomas Bach had promised Charlan an Olympic place after the scandal. “In view of your particular situation, the International Olympic Committee will allocate you an additional quota place for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games if you cannot qualify in the meantime,” Bach wrote in a personal letter to the saber fencer on Friday. Vadym Gutzeit, the Minister of Sport from Ukraine, published the letter.