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Bronze medal for Kharlan in women’s sabre event
So this was meant for Ukraine. It was for the folks back home, where no win is small and has significance that only those on the inside can grasp. It was in honor of the people who have died fighting for the right of our athletes to participate freely. In Mykolaiv, Olha Kharlan’s parents hid down in the cellar for months as they weathered the relentless Russian assault on their home. She almost didn’t get to experience this at all because of the demonstration of principle.
Following her unexpected death victory over the dazzling South Korean Choi Sebin in the women’s sabre event, Kharlan fell to the ground in tears. She leaped into Andrea Terenzio’s arms, her coach, and kissed the yellow and blue mask that had given her a vision of the past. How fitting that Ukraine’s first medal of Paris 2024 should have been delivered by a true national icon, even though she had wished to reverse the years with gold in what will likely be her last Olympics.
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Kharlan, who had just demonstrated the point remarkably, added, “This is a message to all the world that Ukraine will never give up,” evidently fatigued. With Choi, a 23-year-old promising star in the sport, six points ahead, her evening seemed destined to end on a disappointing note. The crowd yelled out, “Come on Olha!” and then an incredible event started to happen. An arena that had been engulfed in patriotic fervor throughout the day—and would erupt once more an hour later when a hometown hero, Manon Apithy-Brunet, took home the trophy—found the will and kindness to change gears.
They started cheering for Kharlan, who had four Olympic medals and six world titles under her belt
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An 11-5 deficit turned into a 12-11 lead and, in an incredibly nail-biting last set of exchanges, a 15-14 triumph. Thanks to the piste, I made it, she remarked. There is no comparison to this medal. Because it’s for my country, it’s special. Every single one of these sportsmen is fighting a battle. We are proving that we are capable fighters, and I even managed to show it.
Two sheer stands drooping towards the podium from beneath the glass-domed canopy added another brilliant touch of Parisian embellishments that made the enormous Grand Palais a truly awe-inspiring location. Spectators were treated to a royal introduction as the competitors ascended a circular staircase and dove headfirst into the cut and thrust before the evening’s main bouts.
Even with the help of the superb acoustics in this auditorium, Kharlan had to overcome more than just a boisterous local audience to get here. After a day of riveting Olympic competition, which concluded with Apithy-Brunet defeating Sara Balzer, this night became France’s night. However, her accomplishment at this Games will have a greater impact on a broader audience.
After losing to Anna Smirnova of Russia in the world championships a year ago, Kharlan was disqualified for refusing to shake hands.
The realization that her dismissal would prevent her from ever qualifying for the Olympics was terrible; she felt devastated, bereft, misunderstood, and crushed. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee and a former fencer, personally intervened, allowing common reason to triumph and paving the way to Paris.
In the afternoon, after making it into the last 16, she was paired with the Azerbaijani delegate Anna Bashta, and there was more than a hint of intrigue. Bashta represented Russia, the country of her birth, until 2019. The 28-year-old became a national celebrity in her home country after her contentious decision to change her citizenship in order to skip the line of Russian fencers in Tokyo 2020.
Bashta would later reveal that the two were long-time friends, and Kharlan easily triumphed over her before shaking hands and sharing a short embrace. Things may have turned out differently if Bashta had changed his nationality following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The ultimate prize dangled enticingly until Kharlan faced a determined Balzer and that echoing wall of French pride in her semi-final match. If that wasn’t enough of a miracle, she would send the large number of Ukrainian supporters into fits of joy in the bronze medal fight. “A lot of pressure because you want to dedicate it,” she remarked, describing the weight that was placed on that decision. Doing it for yourself and your loved ones is important to you. Remembering the terrible times when Russia bombed and killed people, all the press coverage, and the sacrifices. It is difficult because we all take it.
Even after Saturday’s women’s team event is over, Kharlan’s desire for a golden departure will remain. An overwhelming sense of relief, joy, and emotion stamped her evening like a fingerprint. Despite everything, she managed to reach Paris.
