Pavel Graudyn claims Moscow’s first individual men’s sabre world title since 2015 Russian fencer Pavel Graudyn won gold at the World Championships in Hong Kong, earning the country’s first medal since its athletes returned to competition under the national flag and anthem. The 19-year-old Do Gyeong-dong defeated South Korea in the final knockout on Monday, having previously lost the individual event to top-seeded French favorite Sebastien Patrice. The victory marked Russia’s first world title in the discipline since 2015.
The International Fencing Federation lifted all restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes in June, allowing them to compete with national symbols at the championships, which will run from July 22 to July 30. Russian fencers were previously only allowed to participate under the neutral status of Ukraine after being excluded from the 2022 international events due to disagreements.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Graudyn on his victory, praising his skill, determination and composure during the deciding bout. Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said the title was Russia’s first world championship gold since restoring its flag and anthem. The fencing body is among several international federations that have recently eased or lifted restrictions on Russian athletes. Governing bodies for aquatics, gymnastics, judo, taekwondo and wrestling have also restored participation under national symbols.
Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also temporarily reinstated the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and withdrew its general recommendations restricting Russian athletes from international competition. Moscow welcomed the reversals, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova welcoming the IOC’s decision by saying “common sense has prevailed!” Russian officials had previously described the IOC’s suspension of the ROC as “politically motivated” and an example of “deliberate segregation” that violates the principles of the Olympic movement.
However, some governing bodies, including World Athletics, have maintained their bans. Russian Athletics Federation (RUSAF) chief Boris Yaryshevsky said the WA had indicated that Russian and Belarusian athletes would only be admitted after a peace agreement with Ukraine was reached. Moscow has criticized the WA decision as discriminatory and a “complete contradiction” of the principle that sport should remain separate from politics. RUSAF has challenged the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.