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Ukrainian fencer guaranteed Olympics spot after controversial handshake refusal with Russian opponent

  • Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan was disqualified from a tournament for refusing to shake hands with her Russian opponent.
  • Kharlan had comfortably defeated Russian fencer Anna Smirnova but declined to shake hands, instead offering her sabre.
  • The controversial ruling put Kharlan's Olympic qualification at risk, prompting the IOC to guarantee her a spot at Paris 2024.
  • Kharlan called for a change to the mandatory handshake rules due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
  • The incident highlighted ongoing tensions between Ukrainian and Russian athletes amid the backdrop of war.
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