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Olga Harlan won bronze at the 2024 Olympic Games
In a tense match, the Ukrainian athlete defeated Choi Sebin from South Korea 14:15.
Prior to that, Harlan confidently defeated Shihomi Fukushima of Japan in the round of 16 (15:9) and Anna Bashta of Azerbaijan, who had previously played for Russia, in the round of 16 (15:6). In the semifinals, the Ukrainian saber fencer lost to the tournament host Sarah Balzer, 15-7 in favor of the Frenchwoman.
Olga Harlan's medal was her first at the 2024 Olympic Games.
- In February, Olga Harlan won a gold medal at the Women's World Cup in Lima, Peru. The gold medal was the first for the athlete since 2019 at the World Cup level and the 14th in her career. In May, the Ukrainian won silver at the World Cup in Bulgaria. Olga Harlan is one of the most titled Ukrainian athletes.
- After winning the 2023 World Championships in Milan over the "neutral" Anna Smirnova, Ukrainian saber fencer Olha Harlan was disqualified for "disrespect" - she refused to shake hands with the Russian. Smirnova waited on the track for more than 50 minutes for Harlan to be punished, but the judges recognized the victory for the Ukrainian. Because of this, the Russian filed a protest, and eventually the World Championship organizers decided to withdraw Harlan from the competition. The saber fencer's disqualification outraged Ukrainians, and hundreds of posts appeared on social media condemning the decision to withdraw her from the competition and supporting Harlan. Later, the athlete herself released a video message in which she thanked Ukrainians for their reaction.
- Subsequently, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) allowed the Ukrainian sabre fencer to return to the World Championships and take part in team events. Harlan also received a letter from the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, who granted the Ukrainian automatic qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games. The FIE also sent a letter in response to the FFU's request for the validity of the disqualification. It stated that "the issue of Harlan's disqualification has been closed".
