Eight-time world fencing champion Oleksiy Yakimenko spoke about the IOC’s decision to award Ukrainian saber fencer Olga Kharlan a qualification for the Paris Olympics.
“This is an extraordinary case, because in my memory no one has ever been given a wild card. And more interesting will be to follow the current competitions. Will Harlan continue to play for the Ukraine national team? In theory, the black card excludes this possibility. And if the Ukrainians fencing without Harlan, their chances of qualifying for the Games are significantly reduced. In this case, she will go alone to the Olympic Games in Paris. A very complicated decision by the IOC”, quotes RT Yakimenko.
Earlier, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to award Ukrainian saber fencer Olga Kharlan a personal ticket to the Paris Olympics.
Recall that Harlan did not shake hands with Russia’s Anna Smirnova in the World Cup match, so under the rules she was disqualified and earned no ranking points for the 2024 Games.
