Ukraine clinched its first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday, August 3, as the women’s sabre fencing team triumphed over South Korea in a nail-biting final with a score of 45-42. The Ukrainian team, comprised of Olga Kharlan, Alina Komashchuk, Yelena Kravatska, and Yuliia Bakastova, showcased exceptional skill and resilience throughout the tournament.The final match was particularly dramatic, with Ukraine trailing 37-40 in the closing stages. Olga Kharlan, the team’s veteran and five-time Olympian, spearheaded a stunning comeback, scoring eight points in the final round to secure the victory. Kharlan’s performance was especially poignant given her disqualification from the World Championships last year for refusing to shake hands with a Russian opponent, an incident that highlighted the ongoing tensions stemming from Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.This gold medal holds immense significance for Ukraine, extending beyond the realm of sports. Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko praised the team’s achievement, stating, ‘Steel nerves! Incredible skill! A very intense competition, a fight to the very last seconds, great work of our athletes. Crazy emotions, a historic result.’ The victory marks Kharlan’s sixth Olympic medal, making her the most decorated Ukrainian Olympian in history. It also adds to Ukraine’s medal tally at these Games, following Sergiy Kulish’s silver in shooting and Kharlan’s own bronze in the individual sabre event.Despite having the smallest team at the Paris Olympics with just 140 athletes competing across 23 sports, Ukraine has shown remarkable resilience and determination. This gold medal serves as a powerful symbol of Ukrainian strength and unity in the face of ongoing challenges.
Key points
- Ukraine’s women’s sabre fencing team won the country’s first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- Olga Kharlan led a dramatic comeback in the final, securing her sixth Olympic medal and becoming Ukraine’s most decorated Olympian.
- The victory holds significant symbolic value for Ukraine amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Contradictionsđź‘ľThere are slight discrepancies in the spelling of some athletes’ names across different sources, such as ‘Olga Kharlan’ vs ‘Olga Harlan’ and ‘Yelena Kravatska’ vs ‘Olena Kravatska’.
