Fencer Olga Sopit became the first representative of Ukraine to win a gold medal at the European Championship in individual women’s rapier.
The day before, the 23-year-old woman from Kyiv won the tournament in the personal competitions of rapists, in the quarterfinals defeated compatriot Daria Mironyukin a decisive duel beat the Olympic champion10-time world champion and 15-time European champion Italian Arianna Errigo with a score of 15:8. This is only the third medal of Ukrainian women at the European Championships in rapier fencing. In 2007, Olga Leleyko won bronze, and two years ago – at Euro-2024 Daria Myronyuk became the winner of the silver medal.
Kiyanka Olga Sopit brought the first “gold” to Ukraine at the European Championships in individual women’s rapier
FIE
In an exclusive interview with the Champion, the newly crowned European champion shared her emotions from the historic medal, talked about the course of the tournament, her plans for the season and her dream Olympic Games.
– Olya, congratulations! What were the first emotions after winning the European Championship, have you already realized what happened?
– Emotions are incredible. To be honest, there is still no complete awareness. During the competition, you are so focused on each match that you do not allow yourself to think about the result. It was only after the final injection that I realized that I had become the champion of Europe. Now I am gradually realizing the scale of this victory, and it is a very special feeling.
– This is the first gold in the Ukrainian rapier at the European Championship, do you feel that history has been rewritten?
– Of course, it is nice to understand that it was possible to achieve a result that had not been seen before in the Ukrainian rapier. But for me it is not only a personal success. Behind every victory is the great work of the coaches, the team, the federation and all the people who supported me along the way. This victory will become part of the history of Ukrainian sports, so I am very proud.
The final duel of Olga Sopit (right) against the legendary Italian Arianna Errigo
FIE
– This is only the third medal at the European Championship for Ukrainian women’s rapier, things are going much better in epee and sabre. Do you have an understanding of why so and perhaps your success Is this a signal to Ukrainian fans?
– Each type of weapon has its own history of development. I believe that Ukrainian women’s rapier has made great progress in recent years: competition is growing, strong young athletes are appearing, and results are becoming more stable.
I don’t think that one medal can change everything, but I want to believe that it will be a good signal that we are moving in the right direction. Our rapier has potential, and I am sure that there are many bright results ahead.
– In the decisive fight, you defeated the Olympic champion, what does it mean for you, and tell us about the fight in general?
– In the final, the opponent’s status is no longer important. On the track, everyone starts with the same score. Of course, the victory over the Olympic champion adds value to this result, but first of all I thought about my tactics, my actions and how to implement everything I was preparing for.
– Can we say that the confrontation with your teammate Daria Myronyuk was the most difficult at the tournament?
– Each battle at this level has its own difficulties. It was really not easy with Dasha, we know each other well, we understand each other’s strengths. Matches against partners in the national team are always special and psychologically more difficult than others. Moreover, I already lost to Dasha several times this season and 2 years ago at the European Championships in Basel, so I really wanted not to repeat my mistakes.
– Maybe you had some dreams or had a premonition that this championship would be special for you?
– Actually, there were no premonitions. I’m still recovering from an injury, so training hasn’t been quite as I would have liked. I had to be very careful and adapt to the circumstances, but sports often teach me to find opportunities, even when things don’t go according to the ideal plan. Therefore, in the morning before the start, I definitely did not think about the medal. First of all, I wanted to complete the competition well, show my level and get pleasure from fencing. Maybe it was this approach that helped me go this way.
– The team competition is ahead, does this victory add confidence and inspiration before the national team tournament?
– Undoubtedly, such victories increase confidence. But team competitions are a completely different story. The result of the whole team, different tactics, mutual support and joint work are important here. We are determined to be as serious as possible and want to show our best level.
– There is not much time left before the Olympic Games (The 2028 Summer Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles. – ed.)do you already have thoughts about the Olympics and do you feel the strength to rewrite Ukrainian history at the Olympic Games?
– The Olympics is my dream. Of course, there are such thoughts, but now I try to concentrate on the upcoming starts and daily work. This victory showed that we are moving in the right direction. I believe in my strength and capabilities, but there is still a lot of work ahead to be ready for the most important start.
– What are your plans for this season?
– There is still a very important part of the season ahead, at the end of July the world championship in Hong Kong awaits us. Of course, after the victory at the European Championship, motivation only increased, but now it is important not to stop at what has been achieved, to continue working and moving forward. I want to show my best at the World Championship, both in individual and team competitions.
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The European Championship in Anton, France will last until June 21. Currently, the national team of Ukraine has 2 medals in its treasury. Formerly a saber woman Alina Komaschuk won the bronze award.
