Ukraine Olympian disqualified for helmet honoring Ukrainian,war dead

by · UPI

Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Ukraine bobsled skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych was banned from the Olympics for refusing to replace a helmet that honored dead Ukrainians, officials said Thursday.

The International Olympic Committee said Heraskevych refused to "adhere to the IOC athlete expression guidelines." The decision was announced less than an hour before the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics bobsled competition.

"This is the price of our dignity," Heraskevych, who plans to appeal through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, wrote Thursday in an Instagram post.

The helmet, which Heraskevych wore in training sessions, shows photos of more than 20 athletes and coaches killed in Ukraine's war with Russia.

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Heraskevych's disqualification came a day after he made a plea on social media for the IOC to lift the ban on his using the helmet, to apologize for pressure it put on him and to provide electric generators for Ukrainian sports facilities that are "suffering from daily shellings."

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media the country is "proud of Vladyslav and of what he did." He also wrote on X that Russians competing in Italy under a neutral flag "are the ones who deserve disqualification."

"Having courage is worth more than any medal," Zelenskyy wrote.

IOC rules state that expressions are not permitted during competition on the field of play, during official ceremonies or in the Olympic guidelines.

"Having been given one final opportunity, skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych from Ukraine will not be able to start his race at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games this morning," the IOC said. "The decision followed his refusal to comply with the IOC's guidelines on athlete expression.

"It was taken by the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation based on the fact that the helmet he intended to wear was not compliant with the rules."

Heraskevych, 27, participated in multiple exchanges and in-person meetings with the IOC, including Thursday morning with president Kirsty Coventry. The IOC said he "did not consider any form of compromise." Officials said they offered him the option to display the helmet in the mixed zone immediately after competition.

The bobsled federation first notified the IOC on Monday that Heraskevych wore the helmet during training heats. Committee representatives then met with his coach and a Ukrainian Olympic Committee official to discuss the helmet.

The IOC wrote to Heraskevych the next day to notify him that his helmet was not compliant. He said in a news conference the same day that he still planned to wear the helmet and declined an alternative helmet or suggested form of expression, including a black armband/ribbon.

Heraskevych said Wednesday on social media that the IOC "created [the scandal] with its interpretation of the rules, which many view as discriminatory."

"Although this scandal has made it possible to loudly speak about Ukrainian athletes who have been killed, at the same time the very fact of the scandal distracts a tremendous amount of attention away from the competitions themselves and from the athletes participating in them," he wrote.

The first heat of the men's skeleton was held Thursday in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Heraskevych was to have been the lone Ukrainian in the 25-athlete field. The final will be Friday at the Cortina Sliding Centre.

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