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Ukraine’s Women’s Foil Team Defeats Russia to Reach Fencing World Championship Quarterfinals
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The Ukrainian women’s foil team has advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Fencing Championships in Tbilisi after a decisive victory over the “neutral” team representing Russia, Obozrevatel reported on July 28, citing the International Fencing Federation.
The shift in momentum enabled the Ukrainian team—Daria Myroniuk, Alina Polozyuk, and Olga Sopit—to take the lead and finish the match with a 45:36 win, resulting in the Russian team's elimination from the competition.
The Ukrainian fencers faced a challenging start, losing the first three bouts and narrowly claiming the fourth by a single point. However, the momentum shifted significantly in the fifth bout, where Sopit delivered a commanding 7:1 win. Polozyuk followed with an equally strong performance, defeating her Russian opponent 12:7, according to Obozrevatel.
In the begining of July the FIE has published the list of athletes approved to compete at the World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, which includes so-called “neutral” participants from Russia and Belarus.
Among those accepted is Sofya Velikaya, a major in the Russian Armed Forces and a designated representative of President Vladimir Putin during Russia’s 2024 presidential election campaign.
Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee had earlier called on the FIE to exclude Velikaya from the competition, citing violations of the International Olympic Committee’s neutrality guidelines.
Earlier, Ukrainian athletes delivered an exceptional performance at the European Canoe Sprint Championships for Juniors and U23, held in Pitești, Romania.
The Ukrainian national team claimed a total of 14 medals—6 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze—earning second place in the overall medal standings. Hungary topped the table with 34 medals.
