Fencer Olga Harlan: career, achievements, personal life

Olga Harlan is a Ukrainian champion in fencing. Has the title of "Honored Master of Sports". He is the world champion, the Olympic Games, and also the 7-fold winner of the gold medals of the European Championship.

Olga Harlan: Biography

The future star of Ukrainian sports was born in the city of Nikolaev on September 4, 1990. At the insistence of parents from the age of 5 engaged in dancing. Despite some success in the presented discipline, in 2001 she preferred fencing. In the corresponding circle, Olga was recorded by her godfather Anatoly Shlikar. The girl immediately fell in love with a new sport for her. Thus, Olga Harlan forever said goodbye to the dances.

The promising sportswoman made her debut at a serious competition in 2002. However, in the competition for the Cup of Ukraine, Harlan unexpectedly for the coaches and herself was on the final final position. However, failure only provoked the girl. Already in the next season, the above achievement was submitted to a young fencer.

Declaring itself to the public, Olga Harlan sent forces to advance in the international arena. The silver medal of the junior European championship, which the sportswoman won in 2004, was an unexpected revelation for everyone. After all, during the tournament, each duel was given to the Ukrainian fencer with special difficulty. So, in the quarterfinals, Olga Harlan, it would seem, lost hopelessly to the opponent with a score of 11:14, but still managed to tip the scales in her direction. A similar plot was played out in the semi-final, where the young athlete won with a difference of a few points only at the final stage of the battle.

2005 was not so successful for Olga. At the Cadet World Championship athlete lost compatriot and former team-mate Nina Kozlova in the semifinal match. At the junior international championship in the same season, Harlan managed to obtain a bronze award, losing in the semifinal fight to the American swordsman Mariel Zagounis.

Performances in big sports

How did Olga Harlan promote her career? Fencing, shown at junior championships, allowed her to be in the adult national team of Ukraine, where the athlete was invited before the Olympics in Beijing, which took place in 2008. Here in the final match against the Chinese women 17-year-old fencer managed to inflict 8 accurate shots in a row, which was a turning point in the decisive meeting. Thus, Olga Harlan made her first Olympic gold medal in her own treasury.

In 2011, the promising athlete managed to take the highest position at the Universiade, which was held in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. The award was the first adult achievement for the fencer no longer in the team, but in the personal championship. The following year, Olga won the title of European champion in individual competitions.

The next gold Harlan won at the World Cup in Belgium, which took place in 2016. Here in the decisive duel fencer defeated the Russian Jana Yegoryan. And the total score in the game was 15:10 in favor of the Ukrainian.

Political career

In 2010, the already recognized athlete nominated her own candidacy for the post of deputy of the city council in her native Mykolayiv. As a result, Harlan was on the list of "Party of Regions" in the Verkhovna Rada. However, success in local elections ultimately did not allow Olga to go to the country's parliament.

In 2014, the athlete left the list of the Party of Regions. Then followed the membership in the Green Party, as well as participating in the elections to the capital's city council. However, even here Olga failed to take the chair in the governing body, because her political power failed to overcome the three percent barrier by the results of the voting of voters.

Personal life

Olga Harlan is married to the famous Ukrainian saber Dmitri Boyko. Young people met in 2003, when the girl was only 13 years old, and her future spouse 17. However, the guy started to look after Olga only in 2011.

In 2013, Dmitry decided to present an unusual gift for the birthday of his chosen one. Together with a bouquet of flowers the guy presented Olga a notebook, each page of which contained explanations, for which he so dear love. And on the last page was an engagement ring. Immediately after the landmark event, the couple began to plan their future wedding, which took place in the summer of 2016.

Finally

Today, despite achieving everything that only every girl can wish, Olga Harlan continues to set ambitious goals for the future. On the recognition of the sportswoman herself, she is determined to win several victories at the upcoming Olympic Games, and also once again to take the World Championship gold in the individual championship.