The womenʼs fencing team of Ukraine reached the quarterfinals of the team tournament at the World Championship in Milan. The Ukrainian team, consisting of Alina Komaschuk, Olena Kravetska, Yulia Bakastova and Olha Kharlan, defeated rivals from Uzbekistan and Italy.
This was announced by the Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, Vadym Gutsait.
Ukraine reached the quarterfinals thanks to two victories in the first rounds. Ukrainian female fencers beat Uzbekistan (45:27), and then knocked out Italy (45:33), which was considered one of the favorites of the tournament.
On July 30, Ukraine will compete with the USA team for a place in the semifinals of the tournament.
- Earlier, the International Fencing Federation canceled the mandatory handshake after the matches. The decision was made after the incident with Olha Kharlan, who refused to shake hands with the Russian athlete. For this, she was disqualified from the World Championship.
- On July 28, the International Olympic Committee granted Harlan automatic qualification for the 2024 Olympics. The IOC supports her and allocates a quota for the Olympics due to the fact that Harlan did not have the opportunity to win it at the World Championships, and later the World Fencing Federation suspended her disqualification.