page_title: Olha Kharlan
section_title: Sports career
hierarchical_section_title: Olha Kharlan / Sports career
caption_attribution_description: English: Olha Kharlan of Ukraine (R) scores a hit against Russia's Dina Galiakbarova (L) in the women's team sabre final of the 2013 World Fencing Championships 2013 at Syma Hall in Budapest, 12 August 2013. Français&#160;: L'Ukrainienne Olha Kharlan (à droite) marque une touche contre la Russe Dina Galiakbarova (à gauche) en finale du sabre féminin par équipes aux championnats du monde d'escrime 2013 au Syma Hall à Budapest, le 12 août 2013.
context_page_description: Olha Hennadiyivna Kharlan is a Ukrainian sabre fencer. She holds a bronze medal from both the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics and is a four-time World champion and five-time European champion. She was Olympic team champion in the 2008 Summer Olympics, twice World team champion and twice European team champion. Kharlan was named athlete of the year at the 2009 Ukrainian Heroes of Sports Years awards. She briefly pursued a political career.
context_section_description: Kharlan joined the Ukrainian national team at the age of 14. Her first medal in an international competition was a bronze in the 2005 Junior World Championships in Linz after a defeat against Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis; she also took a silver medal in the team event. That same year, she reached the quarter-finals in the 2005 European Fencing Championships at Zalaegerszeg despite still being a cadet. In 2006, she placed second in the 2006 European Seniors Fencing Championship at İzmir after a close 14–15 defeat against Russia's Sofiya Velikaya.
  At the age of 17 Kharlan took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing. She was eliminated by No.1 seed Sada Jacobson in the third round of the individual event. In the team event, Ukraine made their way to the final, where they met China. Kharlan contributed more than half her team's hits and proved decisive in the last bout.
  In the 2008–09 season Kharlan won the gold medal at the European Championships in Plovdiv both in the individual and the team event, where Ukraine overcame Russia. At the World Championships in Antalya, Kharlan once again made her way to the final, only to be stopped by Mariel Zagunis. She was described as "one of the most precocious talents in this category. She is already steady and consistent, but above all she is the star of the future." In the team event, Ukraine defeated France in the final to come away with the gold medal. For this performance Kharlan and her team were named respectively athlete and team of the year at the Ukrainian Heroes of Sports Year ceremony held in April 2010.
  In the 2009–10 season Kharlan won her fourth Junior World Championship in a row, equalling the record established by Jacques Brodin in the 1960s. She is however the only fencer to have claimed these consecutive golds both in the individual and team events. She was defeated by Germany's Sibylle Klemm in the quarter-finals of the European Championships and failed to earn a medal. In the team event Ukraine won gold after beating Russia once again in the final.
  In the 2013 World Championships Kharlan made her way to the final after defeating reigning Olympic champion Kim Ji-yeon in a tight 15–14 bout. She took an early 8–1 lead in the bout against Yekaterina Dyachenko of Russia, who managed to get back to 12–12. Kharlan then struck three hits in a row to win her first individual World title. In the team event Ukraine met once again Russia in the final. After a very tight match Kharlan managed a comeback in the last leg and received her second gold medal in the competition. She finished the season No.1 in world rankings for the first time of her career and she was inducted in the hall of fame of the International Fencing Federation.
  In the 2013–14 season Kharlan won four World Cups out of seven competitions in which she took part. At the European Championships in Strasbourg she earned her fourth European gold medal in a row and the fifth of her career after defeating Dyachenko again in the final. In the team event she had to rescue her team against underdogs Spain in the quarter-finals, scraping a 45–43 victory, but could not prevent a 45–30 defeat at the hands of France. Kharlan's contribution proved once again decisive in the match against Poland and Ukraine came away with a bronze medal. In the World Championships Kharlan won her second title in a row after prevailing 15–12 over No.2 seed Zagunis. In the team event, Ukraine were defeated by 44–45 by the United States and met Italy for the third place. Again Kharlan came back in the last leg to win her team a bronze medal. She finished the season No.1 in rankings for the second time in a row.
  At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she bested French competitor Manon Brunet for the bronze medal, with a score of 15–10.
caption: Kharlan (R) scores against Galiakbarova in the women's team sabre final of the 2013 World Championships
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