Tension in the sports world triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine played out this week at the fencing world championships in Milan, Italy.
Olga Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medalist from Ukraine, on Thursday was disqualified after she refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent she had just defeated in a first-round contest.
Anna Smirnova, a Russian fencer competing with neutral status, extended her hand. Kharlan, in turn, extended her saber blade.
A match does not end until the opponents shake hands, according to international rules, although the head of the Ukrainian fencing team argued COVID rules still in place allowed players to touch weapons instead of shaking hands.