Olha Kharlan: the Woman With the Golden Saber
In short order, the International Fencing Federation reversed its decision to disqualify the Ukrainian, allowing her to continue participating in the Milan competition.
International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach personally awarded a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games to Kharlan, acknowledging the “roller coaster of emotional feelings” the Ukrainian fencer was experiencing and called for “sensitivity” regarding the issue of Ukrainian and Russian athletes competing against each other at international sporting events. Kharlan was inundated with many negative reactions to what she did, but remained steadfast in her convictions.
Olha Kharlan was born in 1990 in the southern city of Mykolayiv, which has been repeatedly bombed by Russia’s military since the start of the unprovoked Russian invasion in February 2022. Olha, her sister and a nephew managed to flee the country, but her parents refused to leave their home unless Russia occupied their city.
Her first interest as a child was dancing, but it proved to be too costly for her family to pursue for her, and at age ten Kharlan switched over to the sport of fencing, again for economic reasons. Her godfather was a fencing coach and she got in with a family discount. She won her first prize money in a fencing competition at age fourteen and shared her winnings with her family which was suffering through dire financial circumstances.
Kharlan joined the Ukrainian national team at the age of 14 in 2005 and won her first medal in an international competition (bronze) at the 2005 Junior World Championships in Linz, Austria. She won four consecutive junior world titles from 2007-2010.
Being a part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal winning Ukrainian saber team was Olha’s most unforgettable experience. She contributed more than half of her team’s touches and her last touch broke a tie in the last bout enabling her team to win the gold medal over China by the closest of margins, 45-44.
From 2008 through 2024, Kharlan accumulated 14 individual medals at World and European Championships (10 golds, 2 silvers, 2 bronze medals) and another 20 team medals at the same events including 4 golds, 11 silvers and 5 bronze medals.
Considered among the world’s most accomplished saber fencers, she is a six-time world champion, an eight-time European champion and a winner of three bronzes and one silver medal in individual competitions at the Olympics.
Olha was immortalized in a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll that was auctioned off for $10,000 with proceeds benefiting the rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
Both her ex-husband, Dmytro Boiko, and current husband, Luigi Samele, are saber fencers.
Kharlan was inducted into the International Fencing Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2016. She has been awarded the Orders of Princess Olha (all three classes) and the Ukrainian Order of Merit (all three classes). In August 2024 she was awarded the National Legend of Ukraine and the Order of Liberty. She has also been awarded the title of Ukrainian Honored Master of Sport.
When she stops competing, Olha Kharlan plans to remain active in fencing, working to help popularize the sport for children in schools similar to soccer and tennis.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
Source: Ihor N. Stelmach