Fencer Olha: We’ll never shake hands with Russians

“My message today is that we Ukrainian athletes are ready to face Russians on the sports field but we will never shake hands with them,” the four-time world champion told several journalists

Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan, who was controversially disqualified from the world championships for not shaking hands with a Russian opponent, defiantly insisted on Thursday: “We will never shake hands with them.” 

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Kharlan, 32, claimed she had been given the green light to snub Russian rival Anna Smirnova by the head of the sport’s federation despite the gesture being a key feature of post-bout rituals. “My message today is that we Ukrainian athletes are ready to face Russians on the sports field but we will never shake hands with them,” the four-time world champion told several journalists.

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