“F***, they’re f***ing crazy”: Russian woman again offended Ukrainian fencer for refusing to shake hands
18 June 2024 17:24
VIDEO
At the European Fencing Championships, a scandalous incident occurred between Ukrainian athlete Olena Kryvytska and Russian Maya Guchmazova, who is representing Georgia. After the fight, in which Kryvytska won with a score of 15:9, the Ukrainian refused to shake hands with the athlete from the aggressor state. In response, Guchmazova swore and expressed outrage at why Ukrainians are allowed to behave in such a way, calling them insulting names.
Guchmazova’s card on the website of the Russian Fencing Federation remains a reminder of her as a Russian athlete.
Fencing wars
The current incident between the Ukrainian and Russian fencers is not the first. At the 2023 World Fencing Championships, there was an incident involving Ukrainian Olga Harlan and Russian Anna Smirnova. After defeating Smirnova with a score of 15:7, Harlan refused to shake hands with her, instead raising her saber. According to the FIE (International Fencing Federation) regulations, a match without a handshake was considered incomplete. Smirnova lodged a protest due to the lack of “respect”, but the judges rejected it. However, Harlan was disqualified from the tournament anyway.
Subsequently, the International Fencing Federation cancelled the Ukrainian’s disqualification, and the IOC announced that Harlan would receive an additional quota for the 2024 Olympics if she did not score the required points due to the disqualification. Thus, Harlan will compete at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Also, after this incident, the FIE changed the regulations and allowed the handshake to be replaced by a gesture greeting from a distance.
