Ukrainian Sports Press Association declares Kharlan “the greatest of all time” Ukrainian athlete

• Kharlan's awards and achievements

Olha Kharlan gained worldwide recognition thanks to her extraordinary achievements at the Olympic Games. She won a gold medal in team competitions at the Olympics in Paris and a bronze in individual competitions.

These victories became part of her grand collection of awards, consisting of six Olympic medals, making Kharlan the most titled Ukrainian athlete in the history of these competitions.

In addition to Olympic medals, Olha Kharlan has won and medalized numerous world championships and other prestigious international tournaments. Her successes in the international arena have become an important part of Ukraine's sports glory.

• USPA voting

More than 100 members of the Association of Sports Journalists of Ukraine took part in determining the most outstanding Ukrainian athlete. Among them were well-known representatives of the media, particularly the editor-in-chief of the Champion website, Andrii Tverdokhlib.

Olha Kharlan's choice was based on her sporting achievements and significant contribution to popularizing sports in Ukraine.

• Political position of Olha Kharlan

In addition to her sporting successes, Olha Kharlan is known for her active political position.

For example, she has repeatedly expressed her opinion on Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov's election as president of the International Fencing Federation, which indicates her active public position and interest in global sports and political processes.

• Recent difficulties and future prospects

Unfortunately, the final month of 2024 did not bring much success for Olha. At the Grand Prix in Orleans, she could not continue competing and ended her performance in the round of 16. However, she remains determined and optimistic about future victories, and both fellow athletes and her fans are confident that she has more achievements to come.

Olha Kharlan is a prime example of how sports can inspire remarkable accomplishments and establish a powerful, autonomous social presence. Her journey from simple training to the pinnacle of global fencing, along with her bravery and perseverance, solidified her as a true icon of Ukrainian athletics.

For reference:

Olha Kharlan is an Olympic, six-time world, and eight-time European champion.

On July 27, 2023, the leader of the Ukrainian fencing team, Olha Kharlan, defeated the athlete from Russia, Anna Smirnova, in the 1/32 of the World Fencing Championship. The match ended with a score of 15:7 in favor of the Ukrainian.

After that, the Ukrainian athlete refused to shake the Russian woman's hand. Kharlan put her weapon forward, offering to "knock" sabers instead of shaking hands with Smirnova. However, the Russian woman rejected this gesture and waited for about 50 minutes just for the handshake.

On July 28, the International Olympic Committee granted Kharlan automatic qualification to participate in the Olympic Games. Later, the World Fencing Federation FIE announced that it would change the handshake rules at official competitions.

It's worth mentioning that Ukrainian fencer Olha Harlan donated a unique Barbie doll from Mattel to a charity auction.

Later, the athlete put up a personal copy of a Barbie doll from Mattel for a charity auction. It was noted that the money would go to a clinic in the Volyn region for the rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldiers who suffered as a result of the war.