“A message that the motherland will never give up”… Ukrainian fencer refuses to shake hands with Russia and wins first medal[지금, 이 사람]

2024-07-31 18:15:36

Olha Harlan wins bronze medal in women’s sabre

Ukrainian fencer Olha Harlan celebrates after defeating Choi Se-bin (Jeonnam Provincial Office) in the bronze medal match of the women’s sabre at the Grand Palais in Paris, France on the 29th. Paris=AP Newsis

The moment the victory was decided, the athlete knelt down on the field, holding his head. His hands, wiping away the tears that were pouring down, were painted with yellow and blue nail polish, symbolizing Ukraine. The athlete, who had won the bronze medal after the comeback, spoke with a mixture of joy and sadness.

“This is a message that Ukraine will never give up.”

Ukrainian fencing star Olha Harlan won the bronze medal in the women’s sabre bronze medal match held at the Grand Palais in Paris, France on the 30th, defeating Korea’s Choi Se-bin (Jeonnam Provincial Office). She was trailing by six points, but made a comeback by scoring consecutive goals in the final minutes. This is her fifth Olympic medal. It is also Ukraine’s first medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

According to the New York Times (NYT), Harlan said in a post-game interview, “This medal is for my country and the people who defended it, and the Ukrainian athletes who lost their lives because of Russia and couldn’t be here.” According to the Guardian, Harlan’s parents live in Mykolaiv, a coastal city in southern Ukraine that was devastated by Russian attacks. Harlan’s family reportedly had to live in the basement of their home for months to escape Russian airstrikes.

Ukraine’s Olha Kharlan refuses a handshake request from Russia’s Anna Smirnova (right) after winning the match at the World Fencing Championships in July last year. YouTube capture

Harlan made headlines last July when he was disqualified for refusing to shake hands with a Russian athlete at the World Fencing Championships. At the time, Harlan met Russian Anna Smirnova in the round of 64 of the women’s sabre and won 15-7. After the match, he blocked Smirnova’s approach with his sword and refused to shake her hand. It was a sign of resistance to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the rules of fencing, the match ends when the players shake hands. Harlan, who refused to shake hands until the end, was eventually disqualified. As a result, he was in danger of not being able to compete in the Paris Olympics, but Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), sent him a ‘special invitation’ and allowed him to compete.

Reporter Choi Ji-seon [email protected]

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2024-07-31 18:15:36