Ukraine wins its first gold medal of the Paris Olympics, in women's team saber fencing

PARIS (AP) — Olga Kharlan got the winning touch for Ukraine's first gold medal of the Paris Olympics, ripped off her fencing mask and sank to her knees.

When she got up again, it was to dance on the piste wrapped in a Ukrainian flag and join teammates Alina Komashchuk, Olena Kravatska and Yuliia Bakastova in the celebrations.

Kharlan went in for the final leg of the women's team saber final with South Korea on Saturday needing to turn around a three-point deficit to keep her team in the contest.

She'd been thinking of Ukrainian troops fighting on the front lines as motivation, trying to keep her own emotions in check “like a robot.” And then she heard the crowd in Paris chanting her name.

“I couldn’t believe it. They’re shouting ‘Olga, Olga!'” she said. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Paris.”

Facing South Korea's Jeon Ha-young, Kharlan said she realized the key right then was to relax. She did just that, and scored the eight points Ukraine needed for a 45-42 victory.

“At some point I said ‘I’m going to have fun, I’m going to enjoy this moment,’” Kharlan said. “I enjoyed all the fencing and just went for it.”

It was Kharlan's second medal in Paris after an individual saber bronze, and the sixth overall from five Summer Games for the country's most decorated Olympian. She hadn't won a gold medal since 2008 in Beijing, when she was 17.

Kharlan and her team were six points down early in the gold-medal match before rallying for the win. Kharlan went a combined 22-10 from her three matchups in the nine-leg final.

“We cheer for our athletes and support them as a nation. Ukraine knows how to inspire both at the Olympic Games and times like these!” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a message of congratulations on social media.

Ukraine had two medals in Paris before Saturday's final; a silver in shooting from Serhiy Kulish and the bronze that Kharlan won Monday.

Now Kharlan is heading back to Ukraine next week for the first time since April to see her parents.

She'll leave Paris with her two medals a year after she was disqualified at the world championships for refusing to shake the hand of a Russian fencer, something which put her Olympic qualification in jeopardy. The International Olympic Committee stepped in to allow Kharlan a direct spot at the Paris Games.

“One year ago, I was almost done with fencing because I was disqualified,” she said. “This is the story that has a very happy end. I would like to say thank you to everyone who made it happen. And believe, work, never give up — like Ukraine.”

That incident at the world championships highlighted the tension over whether to allow Russian athletes to keep competing following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. There are 15 Russians competing at the Paris Olympics, but as Individual Neutral Athletes. None of them are competing in fencing.

More than two years on from Russia’s invasion, Ukraine has its smallest Olympic team since independence from the Soviet Union, with 142 athletes across all sports.

Japan beat France 45-40 for the bronze medal, even though the French team had individual gold medalist Manon Apithy-Brunet and silver medalist Sara Balzer.

Associated Press journalist Hanna Arhirova contributed to this report.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

South Korea's Jeon Hayoung competes with Ukraine's Alina Komashchuk in the women's team sabre final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

South Korea's Jeon Hayoung, left, competes with Ukraine's Olga Kharlan in the women's team sabre final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Ukraine's Olga Kharlan celebrates after defeating South Korea during the women's team sabre final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Ukraine's Olga Kharlan celebrates after defeating South Korea during the women's team sabre final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

South Korea's Jeon Hayoung, left, competes with Ukraine's Alina Komashchuk in the women's team sabre final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Ukraine's Olga Kharlan celebrates after winning the women's team sabre final match against South Korea during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Ukraine's Olga Kharlan celebrates after winning the women's team sabre final match against South Korea during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Ukraine's Olga Kharlan celebrates after winning the women's team sabre final match against South Korea during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jake Sanderson scored 15 seconds into overtime and the Ottawa Senators stretched their win streak to six games with a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

It’s the first time since March 2017 that Ottawa has won six in a row.

Shane Pinto scored twice for the Senators, Claude Giroux added a goal and Josh Norris scored short-handed. Sanderson also contributed a pair of assists.

Leevi Merilainen stopped 21 shots to earn his first NHL victory.

Brock Boeser scored twice for the Canucks, and Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists. Jake DeBrusk rounded out the scoring for a Vancouver side that lost its third straight outing (0-1-2). Kevin Lankinen made 17 saves.

Canucks: The team has lost four of its last five outings and some of its top stars have gone cold offensively. J.T. Miller has not scored in the six games he’s played since returning from a 10-game absence, Elias Pettersson does not have a point in his last six outings and Conor Garland last recorded a goal on Nov. 29.

Senators: Merilainen stepped in for Linus Ullmark, who has been a superstar for Ottawa in recent weeks. Heading into Saturday, Ullmark had powered the team to five straight victories after backup Anton Forsberg went down with an injury during a pre-game skate on Dec. 14.

Boeser knotted the score at 4 with 4:50 left in the game when he blasted a rebound past Merilainen.

Hughes now has 40 points on the season (eight goals, 32 assists). He is the seventh defenseman in NHL history to hit the mark in 33 or fewer games in multiple seasons.

The Senators visit the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, and the Canucks host the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) scores on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) during overtime of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) stops the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser, right, celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with Quinn Hughes (43) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) celebrates his game-winning goal with Brady Tkachuk (7) after overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)