Olga Kharlan, a Ukrainian sabre fencing star, faced off last week against Anna Smirnova, a Russian, and roundly and fairly defeated her. The scandal is what happened next.
Like most Ukrainian athletes these days, Kharlan refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent, to show that Russia’s genocidal war of aggression cannot be ignored, even in sport. Kharlan held out her blade instead, inviting Smirnova to tap it — a gesture that substituted for a handshake during the COVID-19 pandemic and ought to suffice.
Smirnova, who in photographs seems to support Russia’s invasion, opted to turn the situation into theater. For 45 minutes, she stayed on the piste, eventually sitting on a chair provided for her. The International Fencing Federation was impressed — it disqualified Kharlan and advanced Smirnova to the next round.