‘We deserve to exist’: Ukraine’s most successful Olympian fighting for more than medals

When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered tanks and troops into Ukraine in February 2022, it triggered Europe’s largest land invasion since World War II.

Nearly two-and-a-half years later, the war grinds on with Ukrainians fighting a battle for survival and trying to push Russian forces out of their country.

After missing out on a medal at the last Games in Tokyo in 2021, the world of Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan – and that of her countrymen and women – was turned upside down.

“When I didn’t succeed in Tokyo, I thought it’s the worst time in my life and then, when the war started, I said nothing compares to what’s happening to all your country,” the 33-year-old told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies.

“When you see any Ukrainian abroad or come back home, you speak only about 24th of February [and] how you spent first day of the war.

“This is our story right now. We try to live with that. We try to build the future. This is the way to say to each other that we deserve to live, we deserve to exist.

“Nobody can take our home. We will fight to try that to the end and all the world will support us.”

Kharlan, competing at her fifth Olympic Games, is making up for lost time in Paris.

Days after the opening ceremony, she claimed a dramatic individual bronze medal, rallying from a six-point deficit to beat South Korea’s Choi Se-bin and hand her country its first medal at the 2024 Games.

It served as a tonic for her to put on a brilliant performance and lead Ukraine to a stunning comeback win against South Korea for the country’s first gold in Paris.

The victory was not only the second gold in the event for Ukraine after they won the title in 2008 but ensured the sabre fencer became Ukraine’s most successful Olympian ever with six medals.

Following the stunning triumph, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the Ukrainian team.

“I thank them for the result, for the spirit, for showing that Ukrainians win!” he wrote on his X, formerly known as Twitter, account. “Ukraine knows how to inspire both at the Olympic Games and times like these!”

It’s a message that’s left a powerful impression on Kharlan.

“This is history for my country. This is history for all the world and shows to all the world that we can do it. Ukraine can do it. And sport, it’s one of the ways to say that Ukraine can fight and to say to all the world that Ukraine has to win,” she says, grasping her medals.

“During this moment, you see how the whole country is united and they’re celebrating even through this very difficult moment [with] air sirens, bombing, troops on the frontline.

“They are watching and they’re also celebrating, and this is a moment of joy.

“Right now, it’s [like] some movie with a happy ending, but when your country is under bombing every day, it’s not a happy end completely.”

It’s a brief moment of joy not just felt at home but also in person with her family who’ve made it to the French capital from their residence in the besieged city of Mykolaiv.

While Kharlan’s mother Iryna, 61, sister Tetiana, 40, and 3-and-a-half-year old nephew Tymophii traveled from the southern Ukrainian city, her father Hennadiy, who was a professional athlete in sailing, remains at home.

“My sister, when she comes, I win. I won like two world championships with her, so I said [to her], ‘Let’s take you to Paris!’” she says smiling.

“[My father]’s not really a talker, let’s say, but I know what he’s thinking. He’s so proud of me and I’m so happy to make him proud.

“I made my grandmother proud who – on August 15 – will be 81. I know that my grandpa and grandma, they’re looking [down on me] and they would be very proud to see it. Unfortunately, they’re not with us anymore. I dedicate it to them. In my heart, in my mind, they’re always there.”

Kharlan, though, very nearly wasn’t in Paris.

While competing at the World Championships in Italy last year, the leader of Ukraine’s national fencing team refused to shake hands with her defeated Russian rival, Anna Smirnova.

Smirnova walked away before staging a sit-down protest for about 45 minutes.

The symbolic move, made as Kharlan’s country was fighting back against Russia’s invasion, was risky for the four-time individual world champion’s chances of racking up enough points to qualify for the Games.

Kharlan was initially disqualified, but the following day was readmitted to the tournament and given an automatic place at next year’s Paris Olympics by the International Olympic Committee who said the decision was “in keeping with the Olympic Spirit.”

Does she still stand by her decision?

“I realized that it can be risky, but to think about this right now, I wouldn’t change anything. I would do the same no matter what decision would be. It won’t change for a long time,” she explains.

“It was a lot of, injustice – Ukraine at war. My parents in Ukraine, Mykolaiv under bombing. I can’t go to Olympics anymore. … But on the next day, everything just changed completely because of Ukrainian people, because of Ukrainian media, all the world media.

“When I had this all support from Ukraine, this is like this huge hug from Ukrainian people … It’s more than sports.

“I don’t want to boycott competitions. I want to go to fight, but I won’t shake hands because there’s no respect. Even though they’re neutral, we all know that they are not neutral.”

Pointing to her medals she adds: “This is proof that Ukraine deserves to be in the Olympics, and this is the way how it’s supposed to be.”

Ukraine is fielding its smallest ever team at a Games consisting of 140 athletes.

While Khalan and her teammates have had the opportunity to travel and compete in the French capital, thoughts of those who haven’t been able to make the journey have remained at the forefront of their minds during the competition.

According to Ukraine’s Sports Ministry, about 3,000 athletes – from Olympic and non-Olympic sports – have served for the country’s military, either voluntarily or by being drafted, and 479 have been killed while serving or in civilian life.

More than 500 sports facilities have been destroyed, including 15 Olympic training bases.

“It was my first words when I won the bronze and it was the first words when, we won the gold. Everything that we are doing and that we have done during these two years, it was for them,” she says.

“We have also fencers who were killed by Russia, who went to the frontline. I still have friends who are fighting for our future and our lives.

“It’s our need to fight for them because they couldn’t. … They will never do it again and they will always be in our memory.”