Renowned Ukrainian fencer Olena Kravatska will not participate in the 2025 World Championship due to her mother's serious illness.

The Olympic champion of the team tournament in Paris shared this news on her Instagram page.

"I am going through a tough time in my life. My mother is fading. Slowly. Painfully. It’s cancer. This is the third recurrence. She needs constant care, like a child - with all the tenderness and love. I see her diminishing. Physically, emotionally.

At the same time, I was supposed to be preparing for the World Championship. And the decision not to go has been one of the hardest. Because fencing is not just a sport. It’s a part of me. It’s my air. My "I". Saying "no" at such a moment was very difficult. But I did.

Despite everything - I am happy. Despite the fatigue, I love. Despite the pain, I exist. And that's already a lot. If you are going through something similar right now - I am with you. You are not alone. You will endure. And you are already heroes", Kravatska stated.

The 2025 World Championship will take place from July 22 to 26 in Tbilisi. Earlier, a number of "neutral" athletes from Russia and Belarus were allowed to participate in the tournament.

fencing, Olena Kravatska