Ukraine has secured its first medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with sabre fencer Olga Harlan claiming bronze in the individual tournament.
The Ukrainian News reports that Harlan, a veteran Olympian, fought her way through a challenging competition to secure her fifth Olympic medal.
According to the report, Harlan’s path to the podium began with three decisive victories. She defeated Japan’s Shihomi Fukushima 15:9, Azerbaijan’s Anna Bashta 15:6, and Hungary’s Anna Marton 15:7. However, her momentum was halted in the semifinals by France’s Sara Balzer, the world’s second-ranked sabre fencer.
“In face-to-face encounters with the host of the Olympics, [Harlan] suffered her fifth defeat in a row – 7:15 in favor of the current vice-champion in the team,” the Ukrainian News states.
The bronze medal match pitted Harlan against South Korea’s Choi Sobin, who had lost her semifinal bout to another French fencer, Manon Brunet. The contest proved to be a nail-biter, with Harlan mounting a spectacular comeback after trailing 5:11 in the second half.
“Harlan managed to equalize the score with a series of six successful hits in a row – 11:11!” the report exclaims. The Ukrainian fencer then edged ahead, but the match remained tight until the very end.
“Two of the three decisive lunges in the fight remained with Harlan – the Ukrainian snatched a minimal victory of 15:14 and Olympic ‘bronze’!” the Ukrainian News concludes.
This latest achievement adds to Harlan’s impressive Olympic record, marking her fifth medal across multiple Games.
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