IOC points invitation to Ukrainian fencer disqualified for anti-Russia protest | Olympic Video games

The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a particular invitation to a Ukrainian fencer to participate within the Paris Olympics subsequent 12 months, after she was disqualified from a match for refusing to shake palms together with her defeated Russian opponent.

The IOC president, Thomas Bach, a former Olympic champion fencer himself, wrote in individual to Olha Kharlan to make a “distinctive exception” to Olympic qualifying procedures, in an unusually emotional letter.

“As a fellow fencer, it’s inconceivable for me to think about how you are feeling at this second,” Bach mentioned. “The struggle towards your nation, the struggling of the individuals in Ukraine … all this can be a curler coaster of feelings and emotions. It’s admirable how you’re managing this extremely tough scenario, and I wish to specific my full assist for you.”

The letter was copied to the Ukrainian fencing federation, its nationwide Olympic committee and the Worldwide Fencing Federation, which had disqualified Kharlan from the world fencing championship in Milan on Thursday, after she had provided to the touch sabres however not shake palms with the Russian fencer she had overwhelmed, Anna Smirnova. Smirnova staged a 50-minute protest on the fencing piste in protest on the snub.

Bach mentioned that with out the qualification factors from the world championships, Kharlan wouldn’t usually be capable to participate within the Paris Olympics.

“Given your distinctive scenario, the Worldwide Olympic Committee will allocate an extra quota place to you for the Olympic Video games Paris 2024, in case you won’t be able to qualify within the remaining interval,” Bach wrote. “We make this distinctive exception additionally as a result of the continuing procedures will in no case make up for the qualification factors you missed due to your disqualification.”

The choice was welcomed by Ukraine’s overseas minister, Dmytro Kuleba, who had referred to as on the Worldwide Fencing Federation to reverse its resolution.

“Fact and dignity prevail once we all get up for them and combat as one,” Kuleba wrote on social media.