Russian neutral Anna Smirnova, left, reached the women's sabre main draw where she is set to face Ukraine's Olha Kharlan ©Getty Images

A second tie between a Russian fencer competing as a neutral and a Ukrainian athlete has been set-up at the International Fencing Federation (FIE) Fencing World Championships in Milan, after Anna Smirnova progressed to the round-of-64 to meet four-time Olympic medallist Olha Kharlan.

It had been understood Ukrainian athletes would boycott individual events where Russian and Belarusian athletes have entered at the World Championships, in line with a Government decree.

However, Kharlan was among the late Ukrainian entrants to the competition.

Four athletes who entered the women's épée on Saturday (July 22) later withdrew, but Olympic bronze medallist Ihor Reizlin was seeded 13th to receive a bye to the main draw in the men's épée and is now scheduled to face neutral Russian Vadim Anokhin on Wednesday (July 26) after yesterday's preliminary round results.

The same situation arose today at the Milan Convention Centre.

Kharlan, an Olympic team champion at Beijing 2008, was seeded 10th and received automatic entry to the round-of-64.

Smirnova was one of the Russian athletes cleared to compete as a neutral in Milan, and ranked 55th in the preliminary round with three wins from six matches before beating Diana Gonzalez of Mexico 15-7 to clinch the tie with Kharlan on Thursday (July 27).

At this stage, it is unclear if Reizlin or Kharlan will fulfil their ties against Russian opponents.

Kharlan expressed her opposition to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sport to Agence France-Presse before the start of the World Championships but insisted Ukrainian competitors should be permitted to compete against them.

Ukraine's Government has declared its athletes cannot compete in Paris 2024 Olympics qualifiers with Russian or Belarusian athletes, so it remains unclear if four-time Olympic medallist Olha Kharlan will face neutral Russian Anna Smirnova ©Getty Images
Ukraine's Government has declared its athletes cannot compete in Paris 2024 Olympics qualifiers with Russian or Belarusian athletes, so it remains unclear if four-time Olympic medallist Olha Kharlan will face neutral Russian Anna Smirnova ©Getty Images

Ukrainian Sports Minister and National Olympic Committee President Vadym Gutzeit, himself an Olympic fencing team sabre gold medallist with the Unified Team at Barcelona 1992, recently hinted that the Government is considering easing its policy to allow the country's athletes to compete in all Paris 2024 Olympics qualifiers, as reported by Hromadske.

Alena Lisina was the other neutral Russian athlete competing in the women's sabre, but lost a knockout tie 15-5 to the United States' Tatiana Nazlymov.

Reigning women's sabre world champion Misaki Emura of Japan is set to face Uzbekistan's Gulistan Perdibaeva in the round-of-64, with Olympic bronze medallist Manon Apithy-Brunet of France set to face Georgia's Alexandra Kuvaeva in her first match.

Tokyo 2020 gold and silver medallists Sofia Pozdniakova and Sofya Velikaya were among the Russian athletes blocked from competing in Milan due to International Olympic Committee recommendations excluding those affiliated to the military or who have supported the war in Ukraine.

The men's foil competition features no neutral athletes, and also began today in Milan.

Top seed Alexander Massialas of the US is set to face Austria's Maximilian Ettelt in his opener on Thursday, Hong Kong's Olympic champion Cheung Ka Long is due to start against South Korea's Lee Kwang-hyun and reigning world champion Enzo Lefort of France has been pitted against China's Xu Jie.

The FIE Fencing World Championships is due to continue tomorrow with the start of the main draw in the women's épée and men's sabre.