We meet Olga Harlan in a coffee shop on the Left Bank of Kiev, not far from her house. Olga is originally from Nikolaev, but now lives in the capital.
The girl became an Olympic champion at the age of 18, when she won gold in team saber in Beijing.
This event was the pinnacle of her career, but the triumph lasted for a long time. In total, she won four Olympic medals, became a five-time champion in the overall standings of the World Cup.
Fencing in her life might not have been, but the ballroom dancing that Olga was engaged in was beyond her family's means.
– Before fencing, I was engaged in ballroom dancing – this is an expensive sport and very difficult. I had to buy shoes and dresses, participate in competitions. Thank God, my grandmother and aunt sewed the dresses. We saved a little on this.
I remember that the most expensive were the shoes. Then, in 1996-1997, they cost 100 UAH. It was quite a difficult time for the whole family. I had to pay for individual lessons, seminars and the like. We just couldn't pay. This was the main reason for the end of training and dancing,” says Olga.
But fencing classes were completely free.
“I went to fencing just to try. My godfather, he is also a coach, Anatoly Nikolaevich Shvrach, is still coaching. I was small in stature, and did not even have experience with robots with weapons, the saber was the first. Some fencers start with a rapier, then switch to a saber, that is, they change weapons, Olga explains.
Then the children trained in common masks, at no extra cost. Today, parents want to buy everything for their child at once, always of the best quality, although this is not always necessary.
“At first we didn’t really spend anything. The classes were free. I remember that I bought my first sneakers after four years of fencing. I trained in ordinary sneakers, which were enough for me for a month, they cost 25 UAH. I got my first shiny electric jacket about two years later. It was terrible, very poor quality.
We had everything in common, even masks. Now everything is different. Parents want their children to have everything at once. In fact, this is not so important. The first year of fencing is the period of entry into the sport. In addition, it's all expensive: full equipment, including a mask and shoes – € 1.5 thousand. And a child can change his mind, – the athlete notes.
The higher the results of the athlete, the higher the costs.
“Support is very important. Someone has to push you, invest in you. When we started showing results, I can't say that we had super support. They went to competitions in France and Italy by bus. It's a day on the road. And you also need to rest and perform well.
I also remember that when they traveled by train, they didn’t even take a bed. It cost 7 UAH. We thought: why pay when you can take your own. So I took my own. Everything changed when I started showing good results. But that doesn't make gold fall on you. It takes time for the result to become stable. A good result may be an accident. This, unfortunately, happens, – Olga Harlan admits.
During a period of consistently good results in the life of an athlete, those who will support him should appear: the state and the federation.
– Each of us has a lot of injuries, constant fatigue. It is very important to recover, and these are additional costs for a massage therapist and various procedures. Sometimes also operations. All this should be covered, and the federation is covering it ( National Fencing Federation of Ukraine. – Ed .). We represent our country on the world stage, so the federation must do everything possible to keep the athlete healthy and as prepared as possible.
Psychological preparation is also very important. I’ll tell you from my own experience: a sports psychologist talks and prepares for competitions! It is difficult for mentally and physically strong athletes to share with a psychologist, efforts must be made to this, – Olga emphasizes.
A real Olympic level training hall is the dream of Ukrainian fencers. Olga Harlan went to the top in different conditions and trained in different gyms.
– It is always very important where exactly you train. Today we still do not have our own stationary hall for fencers at the Olympic base in Koncha-Zaspa. It is being built. The case has already moved on. Although until I see the completed hall, I won't believe it.
I hope that I will still be in fencing – before it opens. Because it's very important. At the school where I trained, there were no tracks. Instead of them – a floor with a pattern of tracks. No special coverage. If there is no special coating under the track, but only concrete, this greatly affects the knees, joints, and back. It’s very dangerous,” the athlete points out.
Olga is an example of how the invested funds returned to her. Fantastic achievements in sports have been transformed into successful collaborations with brands and collaborations. Today Olga Kharlan is a real Ukrainian star.
I started getting my first salary at the age of 14. When she won the Beijing Olympics (2008), life changed. Thank God my career didn't stop after that. I continued to work. Because usually, after gold, your career ends. Everything is different for me.
What I dreamed of has come true. I aspired to it. I moved to Kiev, I have my own apartment, which no one gave me. I made money on it myself. Plus, it's a nice car. An athlete of this class, like me, can afford such a car. It doesn't mean I'm making millions. These are the things that I needed, I dreamed about them. And here it must be emphasized: in difficult financial times, my parents invested money in me. They did not think that after a while I would earn so much that I would buy them a house. They invested because they loved! Olga is sure.
Olga Harlan periodically visits Italy, where her lover is. There she found her current coach.
“Now I just enjoy it. I was in Italy, I started training a little. In general, it is difficult to part with fencing, especially if you have been doing it for 21 years. Yes, and the body is used to training. I am grateful to sport for discipline!
The body begins to react if there is no load for a long time. I'm not talking about weight gain, but about joints and muscles that behave differently. Therefore, athletes who suddenly stop exercising have serious problems. It is important to simply support, albeit not professionally. Two or three times a week, but keep yourself in shape, – says the athlete.
A few days after the interview, the athlete added a post on her Instagram, where she made it clear that she was returning to the track. Although after the defeat at the last summer Olympics in Tokyo, Olga did not know if she would return to big sport.
“The last two years have been difficult. Having gone through the fall and disappointment, there was less and less strength to rise. It was complicated. I can say that even now it is not easy. But the best medicine is time. And I had it to realize, weigh everything and decide. Decide if I want to continue this difficult path to a dream. Start from scratch, and give 2.5 years to your favorite business and your goals. So, see you on the road. See you at the Athens World Cup,” Harlan wrote.
Two and a half years, which Olga writes about, is the time left before the Olympics in Paris. Obviously, the athlete wants to get back in shape for the start of the next Olympic Games.
Olya is now closely following the Tokyo Olympics.
– I want to wish everyone good health. Take care of yourself, because it hurts so much when you start to get sick on the eve of the Olympics. I wish everyone good luck! I have the Olympics 24/7, I watch every morning. I advise all viewers to follow her and summer sports. It is during the viewing that the audience is immersed in the world of big-time sports, and they can figure out what fencing, biathlon and more are, Harlan advises.
