Ukrainian fencer Krivitskaya refused to shake hands with her rival from Russia
Ukrainian fencer Elena Krivitskaya refused to shake the hand of Russian-born Maya Guchmazova, currently representing Georgia. This was reported in the Telegram channel “SpoRT”.
The incident occurred at the European Championships held in Basel, Switzerland. Krivitskaya won with a score of 15:9, and then refused to shake hands with her opponent. Guchmazova was dissatisfied with the Ukrainian woman’s behavior.
Guchmazova is 33 years old and was born in Vladikavkaz. The athlete changed her citizenship in 2017, switching to the Georgian flag.
In the summer of 2023, another Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan refused to shake hands with Russian Anna Smirnova after the 1/32 finals of the World Championship. The winning Ukrainian refused the obligatory gesture, but the Russian decided to wait for a handshake, without which, according to the regulations, the fight could not be considered completed. As a result, Smirnova left the platform without waiting for Harlan, who was later disqualified.
Harlan was later cleared by the International Olympic Committee to compete at the 2024 Games, and the International Fencing Federation overturned her suspension, allowing her to compete in the team event. In addition, the federation abolished mandatory handshakes after fights.
Source: Lenta
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
