IOC assures Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan of Paris 2024 spot after World Championships disqualification

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has assured Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan that she will have a place at the Paris Olympics next year after she was disqualified from the Fencing World Championships, a key ranking event for refusing to shake hands with a Russian she had beaten.

In a letter to Kharlan, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach on Friday said it would make a "unique exception" by allocating her an extra place to ensure she competes in Paris.

The incident between Kharlan and her Russian opponent — Anna Smirnova, who was competing as an approved neutral athlete — also cast doubt on the IOC's hopes for athletes from the two countries to compete against each other without incident.

The IOC said on Thursday that sports governing bodies should show "sensitivity" on issues involving Ukrainians and neutral athletes from Russia – an apparent suggestion that the FIE made an error.

The FIE changed course on Friday by saying it would allow Kharlan to compete for Ukraine in the upcoming team sabre event, but still defended the decision to punish her. Kharlan had faced a suspension from the rest of the world championships and from other events.

However, the FIE statement made no mention of allowing Ukrainians to avoid handshakes with Russian opponents in future — which could mean more disputes ahead of the Olympics — and the federation insisted it was right to punish Kharlan.

Kharlan comfortably beat Smirnova 15-7 in a first-round contest then refused a handshake, and instead pointed her sabre toward the Russian. Touching blades was used as an alternative to handshakes at fencing competitions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Smirnova stood facing Kharlan and did not raise her sabre. Kharlan then turned and left the piste and the Russian refused to leave for more than 50 minutes. Smirnova sat on a chair on the piste in an apparent protest over the handshake.