Olga Kharlan secures first bronze for Ukraine in Olympic sabre fencing

Ukraine has secured its first medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with sabre fencer Olga Kharlan claiming bronze in the individual tournament.

The Ukrainian News reports that Kharlan, a veteran Olympian, fought her way through a challenging competition to secure her fifth Olympic medal.

According to the report, Harlan’s path to the podium began with three decisive victories. She defeated Japan’s Shihomi Fukushima 15:9, Azerbaijan’s Anna Bashta 15:6, and Hungary’s Anna Marton 15:7. However, her momentum was halted in the semifinals by France’s Sara Balzer, the world’s second-ranked sabre fencer.

“In face-to-face encounters with the host of the Olympics, [Harlan] suffered her fifth defeat in a row – 7:15 in favor of the current vice-champion in the team,” the Ukrainian News states.

The bronze medal match pitted Harlan against South Korea’s Choi Sobin, who had lost her semifinal bout to another French fencer, Manon Brunet. The contest proved to be a nail-biter, with Harlan mounting a spectacular comeback after trailing 5:11 in the second half.

“Kharlan managed to equalize the score with a series of six successful hits in a row – 11:11!” the report exclaims. The Ukrainian fencer then edged ahead, but the match remained tight until the very end.

“Two of the three decisive lunges in the fight remained with Harlan – the Ukrainian snatched a minimal victory of 15:14 and Olympic ‘bronze’!” the Ukrainian News concludes.

This latest achievement adds to Harlan’s impressive Olympic record, marking her fifth medal across multiple Games.

Read also:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!