Piano Prodigy Jude Kofie to Headline Project Harmony’s 30th Anniversary Gala
20 hours ago
Ukraine Olga Kharlan is a decorated Ukrainian saber fencer, recognized for her numerous international titles and her role as a visionary for her sport.
RIOTDIVISION and fencer Olga Kharlan released a charity collaboration. Kharlan and the brand announced the partnership on August 24, 2023.
The collaboration between Olga Kharlan and Unic Fencing has inspired a limited edition of colored sabers featuring her signature.
Olga Kharlan is one of the most revered sabre fencers in the world with a number of global titles to her name. She's also a visionary for the sport she loves. She is featured on their athlete profile.
In 2020, she was chosen as the inspiration for a fencer doll as part of the Barbie Role Models project. The initiative aimed to highlight the success of women in various fields and encourage girls to realise such goals. In August 2023, Kharlan put the personalized Barbie doll, the only copy in the world, up for a charity auction to raise funds for Ukrainian wounded soldiers.
Morshinska is listed as one of Olga Kharlan's partners on her Red Bull athlete profile.
Visa is listed as one of Olga Kharlan's partners on her Red Bull athlete profile.
Olga Kharlan was born on September 4, 1990, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Her early interests included samba, cha-cha, and ballroom dancing. However, due to the cost of dance lessons for her parents, her godfather, a fencing coach, encouraged her to try fencing at the age of 10. She quickly adapted to the sport, choosing the sabre as her weapon a year into training. Her natural agility and quickness, honed by her dance background, contributed to her rapid ascent in the sport, leading to her first national Junior title at just 13 years old.
Kharlan joined the Ukrainian national team at 14 in 2005, marking the beginning of a distinguished career. Her significant achievements include becoming a four-time individual women’s world sabre champion, a six-time individual European champion, and a two-time team European champion. She has consistently been ranked among the top fencers globally, holding the World No. 1 position in women’s sabre for five seasons: 2012–2013, 2013–2014, 2017–2018, 2019–2020, and 2020–2021. Kharlan has also been a five-time Olympian, securing multiple medals, and holds the distinction of being Ukraine’s most decorated Olympian. Her career has been marked by a commitment to the sport, evident in her consistent training regimen which includes mental challenges designed to prepare her for rapid decision-making during competitions.
A notable event in her career occurred at the 2023 World Fencing Championships in Milan, where she defeated Russian fencer Anna Smirnova. Following the bout, Kharlan offered a blade tap instead of a handshake, a gesture she intended as a sign of respect while acknowledging the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. This resulted in her disqualification, a decision that garnered significant international attention and empathy. In response, the International Olympic Committee guaranteed her a spot at the 2024 Summer Olympics, where she continued to achieve success, further cementing her legacy in fencing.
Curious about our offerings or have inquiries? We're eager to assist!
Just complete the form, and we'll respond promptly.
