Bach assures Ukrainian fencer a place at the Olympics

“In view of your special situation, the International Olympic Committee will allocate you an additional quota place for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games if you are unable to qualify in the meantime,” Bach wrote in a personal letter to the saber fencer on Friday. Vadym Gutzeit, the sports minister from Ukraine, published the letter.

The 32-year-old Olha Charlan was disqualified on Thursday at the World Championships in Milan after her victory against the Russian Anna Smirnova (23), who competed under a neutral flag, because the four-time world champion refused to shake hands after the fight. She will probably be allowed to compete again in the team competition on Saturday; her name is on the entry list.

Fencers among themselves “As a fellow fencer, I can’t imagine how you feel at this moment,” wrote the 69-year-old Bach. The 1976 Olympic fencing champion expressed his condolences to Charlan about the “war against your country and the suffering of the people of Ukraine. (...). “It is admirable how you are managing this incredibly difficult situation,” Bach wrote and promised the Olympic champion “full support.”

The Ukrainian Ministry of Sports had only decided the day before the Charlan duel that athletes from Ukraine would be allowed to take part in competitions with Russians and Belarusians again. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) welcomed the decision and called on international sports federations to treat situations involving Ukrainians and neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus “with the necessary level of sensitivity.” Ukrainian professionals also do not shake hands with Russians and Belarusians in other sports such as tennis.

Bach wrote to Charlan that this unique exception was being made because in no case could it compensate for the qualification points that she would have missed due to her disqualification. Important qualification points are awarded at the World Cup. “Of course,” said Bach, as with all other Olympic Games, the other participation criteria must also be met. At the World Championships, fencers from Russia and Belarus were allowed to compete as neutral athletes in the individual competitions, but they are not allowed to compete in the team competitions.

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Bach assures Ukrainian fencer a place at the Olympics

IOC boss Thomas Bach has promised Ukrainian Olha Charlan, who was disqualified at the World Fencing Championships, an Olympic berth.

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