Ukrainian fencer Kharlan disqualified from World Championships after provocation by Russian athlete 

This was reported by Espreso TV. 

At the World Championships in Milan, Kharlan defeated Smirnova with a score of 15:7. After the match, the Ukrainian refused to shake hands with her opponent. The Russian, who was allowed to compete in a neutral status, staged a provocation after the defeat. She stayed on the fencing track for 50 minutes and insisted that according to the rules, her opponent had to shake her hand. In the end, the judges awarded the Ukrainian a victory. 

Olha Kharlan is a 2008 Olympic champion in team competition and a six-time world champion.

Disqualification of the Ukrainian athlete

In the next round, Olha Kharlan was supposed to meet Yoana Ilieva, but she did not show up for the match. The Bulgarian saber fencer automatically qualified for the next round. 

Eurosport journalist Marco Arcari reported that the Ukrainian was disqualified for violating the rules.

Ukraine stops boycotting tournaments with Russian and Belarusian participants 

On March 30, the Cabinet of Ministers decided that Ukrainian athletes would boycott tournaments featuring athletes from Russia or Belarus.

On July 27, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine published an order allowing Ukrainian athletes to participate in competitions with Russians and Belarusians in a neutral status, rather than under their own flags. Thus, Ukraine abandoned its boycott of tournaments where athletes from Russia and Belarus compete in neutral status.

Kharlan became the first Ukrainian fencer to meet a Russia’s competitor after Russia's full-scale invasion.