Overview

• Vlada Charkova refused to join the official podium photo with Kirill Borodatschow after winning gold, returning only once the Ukrainian NOC said he had left the stage
• Kirill Borodatschow is listed on the CSKA website as a member of the Russian armed forces and competed under a neutral flag after signing a declaration of neutrality
• The International Fencing Federation defended its rule change accepting a signed neutrality oath as sufficient for Russian fencers, bucking an IOC recommendation for independent vetting
• More than a hundred athletes and the European Fencing Federation called for the policy’s reversal, with Ukrainian Olympian Olha Charlan leading an open-letter campaign
• Critics warn that permitting militarily affiliated Russians to compete on oath alone risks undermining fair play and could imperil fencing’s Olympic status