Handshake as a political tool: FootballHub talks to Olga Harlan after returning from the Fencing World Cup
At the World Fencing Championships, Olga Harlan, an Olympic champion and ambassador of the 1+1 media Sports Front project, defeated Anna Smirnova of Russia with a score of 15:7.
Video: https://youtu.be/QbGqG_u9pS0
According to the rules of fencing, after the fight, the athletes had to show respect and shake hands. However, Olga did not do so. As a result, after lengthy discussions, she received a black card from the judges, which meant she was disqualified.
FootballHub, the sports digital project of 1+1 media group, spoke to Olga Harlan immediately after she returned from the competition. In an exclusive interview, Olga told us about the details of the world-famous match with the Russian, the referee of the competition who did not want to disqualify her, the threats from the Russians and her condition afterwards.
"When I was sitting in my box, my team was with me, as well as the foil girls, who were very worried about me. Then Luigi came, he was also fencing that day... He looked at me and didn't know what to say. He sat down next to me and couldn't say anything. I told him that I had done everything I could. I can't do any more," Olga recalled the first minutes after the fight.
In addition, Olga Harlan spoke about whether fencing stars supported her action, what would happen to her disqualification and how Ukrainian soldiers expressed their gratitude:
"A lot of soldiers wrote to me, recorded videos. I was just torn up... Recently, I visited a clinic that deals with the rehabilitation of our military. When one fighter came in, he said: "We are very proud of you. Thank you". It's me who thanks you... They give me this strength. I thought about them a lot when I went to the fight and I always think about them."
