Who is Fencer Olha Kharlan, Ukraine’s Most Decorated Olympian

After winning the bronze medal in the individual sabre fencing competition on July 29, Olha Kharlan has become the most decorated Olympian in Ukraine’s history; her achievements now include a gold medal (2008) and a silver medal (2016) in team events, along with three individual bronze medals (2012, 2016, 2024).

At one point, with the score at 5-11, Kharlan was on the verge of losing but managed to secure a dramatic one-strike victory over South Korea’s Choi Soo-yeon (15-14), earning Ukraine’s first medal at the Paris Olympics.

“I dedicate this to all of Ukraine, friends; this is for you. I dedicate this to our defenders. I dedicate this to the athletes who cannot be here because they were killed by Russia. My bronze medal is a message to all Ukrainians and to the whole world that Ukraine never gives up. I am Ukrainian, and Ukrainian blood flows through me,” Kharlan said in her winning speech.

Six facts about Olha Harlan

1. The 33-year-old champion is a native of Mykolaiv, where she graduated from the local school of physical culture. Her father, Hennadiy, was also a professional athlete in sailing.

2. Olha was interested in sports dancing, but her parents could not afford to buy the appropriate dresses and shoes. Therefore, they enrolled Kharlan in fencing, which she has been practicing since she was 9 years old.

3. At 14, Kharlan made her debut at the senior European Championships, where she sensationally reached the quarter-finals. A year later, in 2005, the fencer made her debut at the World Championships.

4. She has been a world champion six times, won the European Championship eight times, and earned two gold medals at the European Games.

5. Her most notable achievement was winning the gold medal in the team event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Overall, she has won four medals at the Olympics, including a silver in 2016 and two bronzes (2012, 2016) in the individual events.

6. Making her Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008, she secured Ukraine’s first gold medal of that year, marking her debut as an Olympic champion.

The handshake refusal

At the Fencing World Championships in 2023, Olha Kharlan defeated Russian fencer Anna Smirnova, competing under a neutral status, with a score of 15-13.

After the bout, Smirnova approached Kharlan to shake hands, but Kharlan declined and suggested a foil touch instead. Smirnova considered this a “show of disrespect” and requested punishment for Kharlan. The organizers initially rejected her request but the International Fencing Federation (FIE) later disqualified Kharlan, barring her from both individual and team events at the Championship.

An appeal by the Ukrainian Fencing Federation temporarily delayed the decision, allowing Kharlan to compete in the team event. However, the disqualification remained. In response to the scandal, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted Kharlan an automatic license for the 2024 Olympics, with IOC President Thomas Bach expressing solidarity with Ukrainian athletes.

Kharlan’s stance received a positive response and support from athletes in Ukraine and around the world.

Olha’s Barbie

Olha Kharlan has become the first Ukrainian to inspire the creators of Barbie to make a doll in her likeness. The collection, dedicated to International Women’s Day, included 40 other models, among them singer Lira, journalist Ita Buttrose, artist Frida Kahlo, mathematician Katherine Johnson, and other notable figures.

In August 2023, Kharlan auctioned her exclusive Barbie doll. The auction raised over 300,000 hryvnias (roughly $8,100.) All the money was directed to the BODRO clinic in the Volyn region, which specializes in rehabilitating soldiers after injuries. The funds raised from the auction helped rehabilitate 14 soldiers and provided surgery for three.

“Rehabilitation is an important part of our soldiers' future lives,” Kharlan said. “The more we can raise from this auction, the more remarkable people will be able to recover.”

Making history at the 2024 Paris Olympics

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kharlan advanced by defeating Japan’s Shihomi Fukushima in the round of 32, overcoming Russian-born Anna Bashta in the round of 16, and decisively beating Hungary’s Anna Márton in the quarter-finals.

“It’s a completely different medal—it’s bronze, but for me, it’s gold. No matter what medal it is, for me, it’s gold. Given the conditions, considering where our country is now and what we are going through, and what every athlete representing our country here is experiencing… it’s simply indescribable.”

On the fourth day of the 2024 Olympic Games, 30 July, 13 Ukrainian athletes representing 9 sports will take to the Paris arena. The football team will also play a key match of the group stage against Argentina.

On the fourth day of the 2024 Olympic Games, July 30, 13 Ukrainian athletes from 9 sports will compete in the Paris arena. Additionally, Ukraine’s football team will play a crucial group stage match against Argentina. On July 30, there will be 12 sets of medals contested across 8 sports.

The 2024 Summer Olympics, Paris 2024, is taking place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in France.