Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan has claimed the first Olympic medal for her country at the Paris Games, beating South Korea’s Choi Sebin in the finals of the women’s sabre.
Kharlan dedicated her win to Ukraine’s defenders and athletes who have died fighting Russia’s invasion.
“I don’t know what I did,” Kharlan told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne after the match. “It just cannot be conveyed. I dedicate this to all of Ukraine, friends, this is to you. I dedicate this to our defenders. I dedicate this to those athletes who cannot come here because Russia killed them.”
The 33-year old is now a five-time Olympic medallist, after almost missing out on the competition for refusing to shake hands with a Russian opponent at the World Championships in Milan last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
After her disqualification, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) invited her to compete at the Paris Games. The letter, which was signed by IOC president Thomas Bach made additional quota concessions for the fencer should she fail to qualify.
“Rest assured the IOC will continue to stand in full solidarity with the Ukrainian athletes and the Olympic community of Ukraine during these extremely difficult times,” the letter stated.
Celebrating her win on Monday, Kharlan said her victory was “for the athletes from my country who could not be here … and also for all the athletes who are here representing Ukraine.”
“It may be bronze, but for me it’s gold,” she said. “You don’t know how difficult it is to prepare and concentrate on the competition when you are at home, under attack, every day.”
In her bronze medal match, Kharlan came from 10-4 down to triumph 15-14.
The former world champion, who was expelled in the Round of 32 at the Tokyo Games added: “Where did I find the strength for a comeback against my Korean opponent? I am a Ukrainian. We have strength. We always have strength. We will always keep fighting.”
Manon Apithy-Brunet of France clinched the gold medal against Sara Balzer, also French, in the finals, 15-12.
Before her match on Monday, Kharlan said preparations for the Games were challenging since she was forced to train abroad and hasn’t seen her family in a long time.
“We fight and perform for those who, unfortunately, cannot come here because they were killed by Russia,” she said. “This is dedicated to them and to all our defenders.”
Tetiana Kurtain, head doctor of Ukraine’s national Olympic committee, said that roughly half of the athletes trained in the country, while others had to move abroad.
“For our sports[persons] of course this is so hard, the games, because we have a very special situation in our country,” Kurtain told USA Today Sports.
“It’s so hard, but it is our work now. It’s a hard time, but hard time it will build good people, strong people.”
”Mental health is very strong and they very much make it about this game because they need it to win in this game, because they all support our people from our country and our military men from our country, too.”
“Every day we have bomb attack. Bomb attack every day and every day we have alarm and all the sportsmen need to train, continue training in a safe place, and all time we need to stop training and move to safe place, and it’s all time, all day. Some days we can do this three or four [times].”
This year, Ukraine sent 140 competitors to the Paris Games — the country’s smallest number in its history of participation in a Summer Games. One athlete blames the war for undermining the importance of sports and its accessibility for many people.
“When you try to choose between life and the sport, you choose life first,” 20-year-old badminton player, Polina Buhrova said. “If government have the choice, it’s understandable they choose to save our lives first, and then support the sport.”