The Worldwide Fencing Federation (FIE) additionally mentioned it was reinstating Kharlan, permitting her to participate within the crew competitors on the world championships in Milan.
Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek president of the FIE, mentioned the choice had been taken “after session with the Worldwide Olympic Committee“.
Kharlan, the primary fencer to face a Russian or Belarusian because the former’s invasion of Ukraine, gained 15-7 towards Russia’s Anna Smirnova on Thursday.
The 32-year-old four-time Olympic medallist refused Smirnova’s handshake afterwards, as a substitute providing her sabre to faucet blades, however FIE guidelines state that the 2 fencers should shake fingers.
Smirnova staged a 45-minute protest and refused to depart the competitors strip.
Kharlan was disqualified, claiming afterwards that Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek president of the FIE, had even assured her that it was “attainable” to not shake fingers and supply a contact of her blade as a substitute following her victory.
“I assumed I had his phrase, to be secure, however apparently, no,” Kharlan mentioned.
In response to her disqualification, the Worldwide Olympic Committee referred to as for Ukrainian athletes to be handled “sensitively”.
Then on Friday, IOC President Thomas Bach, a former Olympic fencer himself, despatched Kharlan a letter saying she can be assured a spot at subsequent yr’s Olympics in Paris no matter whether or not she gained the qualification factors.
“As a fellow fencer, it’s not possible for me to think about how you’re feeling at this second,” Bach wrote.
“Given your distinctive scenario, the Worldwide Olympic Committee will allocate a further quota place to you for the Olympic Video games Paris 2024 in case you will be unable to qualify within the remaining interval.”
Bach added: “Relaxation assured that the IOC will proceed to face in full solidarity with the Ukrainian athletes and the Olympic neighborhood of Ukraine throughout these extraordinarily troublesome instances.”
The choice to allocate Kharlan a spot within the Olympics is certain to impress an offended response from Russia.
Earlier Friday, the top of Russia’s Olympic Committee accused the IOC of selecting sides after it urged sports activities federations to point out sensitivity in the direction of Ukrainian athletes.
“The assertion in query signifies that the IOC decided for itself and picked a facet within the political battle, (and) started to behave within the pursuits of this facet,” Stanislav Pozdnyakov mentioned on Telegram.
In accordance with Pozdnyakov, these remarks “clearly confirmed the duplicity of the so-called suggestions, standards and parameters.
“Now we now have been involuntarily however clearly proven the angle which completely any Russian will face at worldwide competitions”.
Since Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine, the IOC imposed sporting sanctions on Moscow and its ally Minsk, however earlier this yr it really helpful that Russian and Belarusian athletes might compete as people in qualifying occasions underneath a impartial flag and with no anthem.
The choice provoked howls of protest from each the Ukrainian authorities and criticism from their athletes for putting the human rights of Russian athletes above theirs.
This resulted in Ukraine barring their athletes from competing at occasions the place Russians and Belarusians have been current — tennis being the exception as gamers in that sport compete as people.
The IOC has not but decided on whether or not Russians and Belarusians and may participate within the Paris Olympics as impartial opponents.
Ukraine’s Sports activities Minister Vadym Gutzeit hailed the IOC’s determination to provide Kharlan an Olympics place.
On Fb he mentioned: “Regardless of all of the hate that I personally and my crew have skilled in these 24 hours, working laborious for Ukrainian athletes and never responding to it, we now have already achieved the primary consequence.
“We’re engaged on eradicating the black card for Olga’s additional competitions and stopping comparable conditions in different sports activities.”
Kharlan is simply collaborating on the earth championships after the Ukraine sports activities ministry modified its earlier coverage of barring athletes from dealing with Russian or Belarusian opponents.
