World Fencing Federation to change the rule of handshakes at competitions

On July 28, the World Fencing Federation FIE announced it would change the rules of handshakes at competitions allowing Ukrainians not to touch Russians, the Italian newspaper La Reppublica reported.

"The traditional handshake at the end of the match will be immediately replaced by a remote greeting that will allow Ukrainians to avoid approaching Russians, even if they compete as neutrals," the report reads.

As a reminder, during the World Fencing Championships, Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan refused to shake hands with her Russian rival Anna Smirnova. According to the rules of the International Fencing Federation, Kharlan could have been disqualified for refusing to shake hands. However, the judges decided against it, and Olha Kharlan advanced to the next round.