Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on the International Fencing Federation to restore the rights of disqualified Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan to compete.
"Anna Smirnova lost the fair competition and decided to play dirty with the handshake show. This is exactly how Russian army acts on the battlefield. Olha Kharlan won the fair competition and showed dignity," he tweeted.
Kharlan defeated Russian Anna Smirnova in the first round at the World Championships in Milan and refused to shake her hand. Smirnova protested against Kharlan for not showing "respect" by staying on for more than 50 minutes after the match, but the judges did not change their decision and Olha advanced to the next round. However, later it became known that she had been disqualified.
Kharlan's refusal to shake Smirnova's hand prompted a massive show of support in Ukraine, from regular commentators to diplomats and officials.
Kharlan is a two-time team European champion, six-time individual European champion, two-time team world champion, and four-time individual world champion.