A Ukrainian skeleton athlete has been disqualified from the Olympics over a helmet dispute

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Vladislav Heraskevich, a Ukrainian pilot, will not be allowed to compete in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics after refusing to comply with International Olympic Committee guidelines.

In a statement On February 12, the International Olympic Committee ruled that the helmet Heraskevich intended to wear – which featured images of Ukrainian athletes killed in the Russian invasion – did not meet competition rules.

The IOC stated that despite multiple exchanges and personal meetings between the committee and Heraskevich, including with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the Ukrainian athlete would not consider any form of settlement.

He was notified of his disqualification shortly before the start of his competition on February 12, and his team said it intended to appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Heraskevich holds his helmet, bearing images of his compatriots killed during the war in Ukraine, at the Milan-Cortina Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on February 9. — Heraskevich holds his helmet, bearing images of his compatriots killed during the war in Ukraine, at the Milan-Cortina Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on February 9.

The Ukrainian Olympic Committee, which supported Heraskevich in the case, said it had no plans to boycott the games over his disqualification.

“I never wanted a scandal with the IOC, nor did I create it. The IOC created it through its interpretation of the rules, which many consider discriminatory,” Heraskiewicz said in a statement. video Released on February 12.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sepha took to X to thank Heraskevich for his “principles and courage” and to issue a critical response to the IOC’s ruling, saying that “future generations will remember this moment as a moment of shame.”

“The IOC did not ban the Ukrainian athlete, but rather its reputation,” he wrote. “The IOC has intimidated and disrespected our athletes and other Ukrainians, even lecturing them about how to stay silent about ‘one of 130 conflicts in the world.’”

“The IOC has also systematically failed to confront the biggest violator of international sport and the Olympic Charter – Russia,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly supported the athlete on social media before he was disqualified.

“I thank the flag bearer of our national team at the Winter Olympics, Vladislav Heraskevich, for reminding the world of the price of our struggle,” Zelensky wrote.

With reports from Reuters

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