ウクライナ選手、ロシア勢との握手拒否で失格　フェンシング

【ミラノＡＦＰ＝時事】フェンシング世界選手権で２７日、女子サーブル個人でウクライナのオリガ・ハルランが、「個人の中立選手（ＡＩＮ）」として出場したロシア出身のアンナ・スミルノワとの対戦後に握手を拒否したとして失格となった。（写真はフェンシング世界選手権、女子サーブル個人戦予選。握手を拒否されたことに抗議し、椅子に座り続けるロシア出身のアンナ・スミルノワ）
　しかし、ハルランは勝利した試合後の握手をせず、代わりに剣を突き合わせようと申し出た。スミルノワは敗戦に加え、握手を拒否されたことに憤慨し、会場を去らずに１時間椅子に座り続けて抗議した。
　世界選手権で通算４度の優勝を誇るハルランは報道陣に対し、「きょうの私のメッセージは、ウクライナのアスリートは競技の場でロシア選手と対戦する準備はできているが、握手することは絶対にないというものだ」と述べた。
　国際フェンシング連盟（ＦＩＥ）の規則では、試合後に対戦相手と握手をすることが定められているが、代わりに剣を突き合せることは「問題ない」と、ＦＩＥの会長から事前に確認を取っていたとも明らかにした。
　ウクライナ・フェンシング連盟は、ＦＩＥにハルランの失格撤回を要求。ウクライナのミハイロ・ポドリャク大統領府顧問も、ソーシャルメディアで「完全に恥ずべき決定」だと反発した。
　一方、国際オリンピック委員会は今回の件を受け、各国際競技連盟に対し、ウクライナ選手と個人資格の中立選手が絡む問題が起きた場合、「必要な配慮」を持って対処するよう促した。また、「われわれは引き続き、ウクライナ選手とウクライナの五輪コミュニティーへの全面的な連帯を続けていく」と付け加えた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/07/28-16:23）

Ukraine's Olha Kharlan was disqualified from the world fencing championships for refusing to shake hands with her beaten Russian opponent on Thursday in a decision blasted as absolutely shameful.
Kharlan, the first athlete officially representing Ukraine to face a Russian or Belarusian opponent since Moscow's invasion of her country in February 2022, opted against shaking the hand of Anna Smirnova.
Instead, she offered a touch of her blade after the bout at the tournament in Milan.
The decision (to disqualify) is the manifestation of a complete lack of empathy, misunderstanding of the emotional context and is absolutely shameful, Ukraine presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak wrote on social media.
Kharlan outclassed Smirnova and was cheered on by around 20 members of the Ukrainian delegation chanting 'Slava Ukraini' ('Glory to Ukraine').
Smirnova, furious at the handshake snub as well as her defeat, refused to leave the arena and sat on a chair for an hour in protest.
The rules of the international federation (FIE) state that the two fencers must shake hands once the result is given.
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, four-time world champion Kharlan told several journalists, including a reporter from AFP.
She claimed that Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), had assured her that it was possible not to shake hands and offer a touch of her blade instead.
I thought I had his word, to be safe, but apparently, no, Kharlan said of Katsiadakis who succeeded Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov as head of the ruling body in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Ukrainian fencing federation demanded Kharlan be reinstated.
We have already submitted our protest to the Bureau of the International Fencing Federation, the President of Ukraine's Fencing Federation Mykhaylo Ilyashev told journalists.
- 'Reinstate Kharlan' -
We are waiting for the immediate consideration of this protest, so that this disqualification is cancelled and Olha can take part in team competitions.
Four-time sabre world champion Kharlan had told AFP in a recent interview that she would not shake hands with a Russian rival.
Kharlan, 32, had only been given the green light to compete at 0600GMT on Thursday, hours after the Ukraine sports ministry changed its previous policy of barring athletes from facing Russians or Belarusians competing as neutrals.
Under the new policy, Ukrainians cannot face athletes who represent the Russian Federation and Belarus.
Smirnova was competing as a neutral.
Ukrainian tennis players have been playing Russians and Belarusians since the invasion, but as individuals not representing their country. They too have avoided shaking hands.
They are right not to shake hands, I cannot imagine a scenario where I would, Kharlan told AFP.
We have different fronts, we also have sport which is about the fight and the struggle.
The change of tack by the Ukrainian sports ministry reduced the chances of a boycott of the Paris Olympics next year.
That new ruling came too late for Igor Reizlin, who withdrew from his bout against a Russian on Wednesday.
- 'Sensitivity' -
Kharlan was livid with the IOC and the FIE for permitting Russians and Belarusians to compete again, albeit as neutrals. Fencing was the first sport to open their doors in March.
How are Ukrainian athletes meant to feel when the IOC should be on our side and delivering justice but in fact they are doing things totally against us? she said in an AFP interview earlier this month.
She expressed doubts about Ukraine's policy of barring athletes from events where Russians and Belarusians were competing.
Ukraine's judokas were pulled out of the world championships earlier this year because Russians and Belarusians were present.
The IOC is yet to make a final decision over allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete in the Paris Olympics. That leaves open a potential change of mind by Ukraine over a boycott.
We have not yet taken a decision regarding the Olympics, Vadym Gutzeit, Ukrainian Sports Minister and a former Olympic fencing gold medallist himself, told Le Monde newspaper on Tuesday.
We await the final decision to see if (the Russians and Belarusians) will be given the green light to compete or not.
On Thursday, the IOC said they were encouraging international federations to handle situations involving Ukrainian and individual neutral athletes with the necessary degree of sensitivity.
They added in a statement: We continue to stand in full solidarity with the Ukrainian athletes and the Olympic community of Ukraine.