Warsaw, POLAND – The women’s sabre fencing team brought home Ukraine’s first gold medal at this year’s Olympics.
On August 3, female sabers Olga Kharlan, Alina Komashchuk, Olena Kravatska, and Yuliia Bakastova competed against the South Korean team in the final and beat them with a score of 45:42.
This victory became a significant one for Kharlan, who also won a bronze medal in the individual sabre fencing a few days earlier.
Kharlan is now a two-time Olympic champion in fencing. Marking her sixth medal in her Olympic career, the woman also became the most decorated athlete in Ukraine’s history of independence, with 2 golds, 1 silver, and 3 bronzes.
“It’s special because it’s for my country. It’s for people in Ukraine, it’s for defenders [soldiers], it’s for athletes who couldn’t come here because they were killed by Russia,” Kharlan said in an interview with German broadcaster DW.
“It’s also for all the athletes who are here representing Ukraine,” Kharlan continued. “ You have no idea how tough it is to prepare, to be confident, to be focused on competition when your home is under attack every day. It’s really hard.”
With the ongoing war in Ukraine, it is important to remember that Ukrainian athletes train in unstable circumstances and their practice routines are constantly affected by stress and attacks.
According to information released by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in the United Kingdom, nearly 500 Ukrainian athletes were killed by Russians and will never be able to compete again.
Considering the circumstances, Kharlan’s victories are especially valuable for Ukraine as the country continues to put itself into Olympic history forever.
Kateryna Kvasha is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International from Ukraine.
