In a fit of rage, three-time Olympic champion Galina Gorokhova called members of the Verkhovna Rada crazy for demanding that Russian fencer Anna Smirnova, who staged a circus after her fight with Olga Kharlan at the World Championships, be banned from competition for life. The representative of the aggressor country shamed our sabre fencer herself for refusing to shake hands with her opponent, forgetting the reasons for this decision.

Gorokhova said this in an interview with the Russia Today propaganda TV channel. She also expressed confidence that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would meet Ukraine's request and called on Russia to withdraw from the organisation, which would lead to "competitions without the strongest".

"After such statements, it is necessary to demand a medical certificate of mental health from the members of the Verkhovna Rada committee who suggest such things. And Olympic champion Kharlan herself should be very ashamed. You have an athlete who has only participated in youth competitions before, and you are putting on a circus show for the whole world. It's a disgrace. And for sure, the IOC will listen to Ukraine and decide on disqualification. So we need to get out of there immediately and protest. Let them feel what it's like to compete without the strongest athletes," Gorokhova said.

It will be recalled that Kharlan defeated Smirnova in the round of 32 of the 2023 World Cup in Milan. After the fight, our compatriot refused to shake hands with her opponent. The Russian representative lodged a protest against the result of the duel, which was rejected. The propaganda TV channel Match TV published a photo of the denunciation that the Russian woman had written against Olga. As a result, the international federation disqualified Kharlan from the 2023 World Cup, but suspended its decision the next day.

It is worth noting that Smirnova is not a "neutral" athlete, as required by the competition regulations. The representative of the aggressor country's brother is a military officer, and she is very proud of him, as can be seen from their joint photos. Russian propagandists also issued a ridiculous fake about Kharlan.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, after a loud reaction in the world media to the scandal of Olga Kharlan's disqualification, the IOC made a sensational decision regarding the Ukrainian. Later, video evidence emerged that Olga was suspended from the World Cup after Russia put pressure on the tournament organisers.

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