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Ukrainian Fencer Disqualified for Snubbing Russian Loser Gets Olympics Spot

Olga Kharlan was disqualified from a major fencing event after she blew off a mandatory handshake with her defeated Russian opponent.

The Ukrainian fencer who denied her defeated Russian opponent a post-match handshake—and got disqualified from the World Fencing Championship as a result—will have a spot in the 2024 Olympics. The International Fencing Federation disqualified the fencer, Olga Kharlan, after she pointed her sabre at defeated Russian Anna Smirnova, instead of the mandatory post-match handshake, ESPN reported. Getting booted from the key ranking event could have jeopardized Kharlan’s Olympic aspirations—until the International Olympic Committee stepped in on Friday. “Given your unique situation, the IOC will allocate you an additional place at the 2024 Paris Olympics in case you fail to qualify,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a letter to Kharlan.