The Verkhovna Rada called for the abolition of handshakes in tournaments with the Russians
The Committee on Youth and Sports of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in its Telegram channel called on international federations to cancel mandatory handshakes and bows at tournaments where Russian and Belarusian athletes compete with representatives of the country.
The appeal emphasizes that the call is connected with the incident with the Ukrainian saber fencer Olga Kharlan, which occurred at the World Championships in Italy. There is also expressed support for the act of the athlete.
On July 27, Harlan and Russian Anna Smirnova met in the 1/32 finals of the World Championship. The Ukrainian, who won, refused to shake hands with her opponent, but the Russian woman decided to wait for the gesture, without which, according to the rules, the fight could not be considered completed. As a result, Smirnova left the site without waiting for the return of Harlan, who was later disqualified.
On July 28, the International Olympic Committee granted Harlan an automatic right to speak at the 2024 Games. Later, the International Fencing Federation announced the cancellation of the removal of the Ukrainian from the World Cup, giving her the opportunity to take part in the team tournament.
Source: Lenta
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