Olha Hennadiivna Kharlan, better known as Olga Kharlan, is a famous Ukrainian swordsman. She is a four-time women’s individual saber world champion, a six-time Olympic medalist and holds the title of the most decorated Ukrainian Olympian in history.
Kharlan has been ranked No. 1 in the world in women’s fencing for five seasons: 2012–2013, 2013–2014, 2017–2018, 2019–2020 and 2020–2021.
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- Full name: Olha Hennadiivna Kharlan
- Stage name: Olga Harlan
- Date of birth: September 4, 1990
- Age: 34 years old
- Place of birth: Mykolaiv, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
- Nationality: Ukrainian
- Occupation: Ukrainian swordsman
- Height: 1.72 m
- Parent: Hennadiy Kharlan
- Siblings: Tetiana Kharlan
- Spouse: Dmytro Boiko (m. 2014–2018), Luigi Samele
- Children: Unknown
- Relationship: Married
- Net worth: Unknown
Early life and education
Olha Hennadiivna Kharlan was born on September 4, 1990 in Mykolaiv, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union. She is the daughter of Hennadiy Kharlan, a professional rower, and has an older sister named Tetiana Kharlan.
Olha graduated from the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding and completed her early education at a local school of physical culture in Mykolaiv, where she developed a strong passion for sports, especially fencing. Kharlan is of Ukrainian descent and her religious beliefs are not widely known.
Career
Olga Kharlan began her fencing career at age 14, joining the Ukrainian national team in 2005. She won her first international medal that year, winning bronze in the World Junior Championships in Linz, Austria and a silver medal in the team event.
She also reached the quarter-finals at the 2005 European Fencing Championships, despite still being a cadet. Kharlan continued to impress, winning four consecutive world junior championships between 2007 and 2010 and a silver medal at the 2006 European Senior Fencing Championships.
Throughout his career, Kharlan has achieved significant success. She is a two-time team world fencing champion, six-time individual European champion and two-time team European champion.
At the Olympics, she won two team gold medals (2008 and 2024), one team silver medal (2016), and three individual Olympic bronze medals. She competed in five Olympic Games, from Beijing 2008 to Paris 2024, cementing her place as one of the sport’s greatest athletes.
Kharlan was inducted into the International Fencing Federation Hall of Fame in 2016. Outside of fencing, she briefly pursued a political career in the early 2010s. In 2023, at the Fencing Championships world championship in Milan, Kharlan made headlines after defeating Russian boxer Anna Smirnova. She then raised her sword in a show of respect, despite the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
This action resulted in a controversial disqualification, but the International Olympic Committee later intervened, granting Kharlan automatic entry to the 2024 Olympics and allowing her to compete in the bronze event. team.
Kharlan has been ranked No. 1 in the world in women’s saber for five seasons, from 2012 to 2014 and again from 2017 to 2021. Her achievements in the sport have helped her become an athlete. The most decorated Ukrainian Olympian and one of the most successful fencers in history. .
Social Media
Olga Harlan does not have any active social media accounts.
Personal life
Olga Kharlan was married twice. She was first married to Dmytro Boiko, a Ukrainian fencer, from 2014 to 2018. She is currently married to Italian Olympic fencer Luigi Samele and they live in Bologna, Italy.
Net worth
Olga Kharlan, a famous Ukrainian fencer, is recognized as the Olympic athlete with the most medals in Ukrainian history.
Despite her considerable success, including multiple world championships and Olympic medals, her net worth is not publicly disclosed. Although her achievements in the sport are well known, specific financial details regarding her income or net worth remain unclear.
