'Bronze, but Golden for Me': Fencer Olha Kharlan Wins Ukraine's First Olympic Medal

The Ukrainian national team has won its first medal at the 2024 Olympic Games. It was won by fencer Olha Kharlan, who won bronze in the individual sabre competition.

This was reported by Suspilne Sport.

Kharlan won the medal in a dramatic bronze medal match: at first she was losing to Korean representative Choi Sebin (5:11), but eventually managed to make a comeback and snatch the victory with a difference of one stroke - 15:14.

‘It's a completely different medal, it's bronze, but it's gold for me. Whatever medal it is, it's gold for me. Because in those conditions, given where our country is now, what we are going through, what every athlete who represents our country here is going through... It's not easy to convey. It is very difficult.

I don't know what I did. It's just not easy to convey. I dedicate this to the whole of Ukraine, friends, to you. I dedicate this to our defenders. I dedicate this to those athletes who cannot come here because they were killed by Russia.

Where did you get the strength to comeback with a Korean woman? I am a Ukrainian. We have the strength, we will always have the strength. We will always fight,’ the Ukrainian commented on her victory.

Kharlan became the first Ukrainian athlete in history to win medals at four Olympics.

As The Gaze previously reported, the Ukrainian national football team defeated Morocco 2-1 in the second match at the Paris Olympics. Today, they will play the next match against Argentina, which will decide the fate of Ukrainians at these Games.