Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan was awarded a place in the 2024 Paris Olympics by the IOC on Friday after she was disqualified at the world championships for refusing to shake the hand of her Russian opponent.
The International Fencing Federation (FIE) also said it was reinstating Kharlan, allowing her to take part in the team competition at the world championships in Milan.
Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek president of the FIE, said the decision had been taken "after consultation with the International Olympic Committee".
Kharlan, the first fencer to face a Russian or Belarusian since the former's invasion of Ukraine, won 15-7 against Russia's Anna Smirnova on Thursday.
The 32-year-old four-time Olympic medallist refused Smirnova's handshake afterwards, instead offering her sabre to tap blades, but FIE rules state that the two fencers must shake hands.
Smirnova staged a 45-minute protest and refused to leave the competition strip.
Kharlan was disqualified, claiming afterwards that Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek president of the FIE, had even assured her that it was "possible" not to shake hands and offer a touch of her blade instead following her victory.
"I thought I had his word, to be safe, but apparently, no," Kharlan said.
In response to her disqualification, the International Olympic Committee called for Ukrainian athletes to be treated "sensitively".
Then on Friday, IOC President Thomas Bach, a former Olympic fencer himself, sent Kharlan a letter saying she would be guaranteed a place at next year's Olympics in Paris regardless of whether she gained the qualification points.
To be clear, if she is contesting a ruling by the referee, she is not allowed to leave the piste (strip) until the situation is resolved by the head official(s). As soon as she leaves the piste, she gives up all rights to contest a ruling.
This happened publicly before with Shin A-lam at the 2012 Olympics, where she had to stay on piste for an hour while the officials discussed the ruling.
So to be clear, she is throwing a tantrum because the Ukrainian contestant didn't want to shake hands with a citizen of the country that has been killing her people?
I'm surprised Russia isn't complaining that Ukraine, which they believe should be part of Russia, isn't arguing Ukraine isn't a country and shouldn't compete.
Why should she be treated any differently than other athletes? She deliberately broke the rules, got a punishment, threw a fit overthe punishment, and now is getting a special place in the Olympics despite not qualifying for them? That seems kinda ridiculius IMO.
That comparison makes no sense at all. Her opponent didn't assault her, nor is she responsible for the actions of any of the government involved. She's an athlete, not a head of state. She wasn't fencing against Putin.
A more apt comparison would be to refuse to shake hands with anyone from France because you were assaulted by a French person once. You would be widely, and rightfully, decried as racist for such a position.
The athlete in question is not their government, cannot prevent their government from doing the war, and is not responsible for any of the crimes of her government. Changing the rules for one athlete because she doesn't like her opponent is ridiculous. This rule has been on the book for decades. People from countries in much more bitter wars have shaken hands.
And also the other fencer literally did not rape her, this situation isn't even remotely comparable to what you just said. That's an utterly ridiculous comparison. You're making it out as though this one athlete is personally responsible for everything Russia has done in the last 2 years and should be treated as such.
That's a deranged analogy. Being from a nation doesn't place the crimes of the government on every citizen. More, the olymics exists to be a place to attempt to step outside conflict, as hard as that might be.
It is really insensitive and anti-feminist to make rape comparisons because you can't find less charged rhetoric to use. Most women experience sexual violence and something like 1/6 of of all women have ptsd on that account, it is very inconsiderate.
Oh I dunno, let's have your country invaded, your children slaughtered in their schools, your women and children raped, your prisoners of war tortured and executed, your monuments and cultural touchstones destroyed, your homes and apartments bombed indiscriminately until several of your cities are completely flattened.
Then let's have you compete with a person who is representing the invaders. Wearing their flag, singing their anthem. And then you're expected to shake their hand?
The US, the UK, most of western Europe have done far worse to countries across the globe and presumably they have their hands shaken all the time at these events. This girl is not responsible for America's latest war.
The generous interpretation is that she was confused by the rules, as during the pandemic there was a suspension of handshakes in competition. I feel that could have been quickly resolved with an apology and a belated handshake though.