Thu, February 12, 2026
Ukrainian skeleton athlete barred after helmet tribute dispute
Ukrainian skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych has been banned from competing at the Winter Olympics after a dispute with Olympic authorities over a helmet he wore in tribute to those killed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Heraskevych appeared in official training sessions wearing a helmet displaying images of deceased athletes and children. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) informed him earlier in the week that the design was not permitted under the Olympic Charter, stating that it “does not comply” with competition regulations.
Despite being advised to remove the helmet for the event itself, Heraskevych continued to wear it during training and insisted he believed he “has all the rights” to do so.
The situation escalated on Thursday morning ahead of the men’s skeleton competition in Cortina. The IOC announced that Heraskevych’s accreditation had been withdrawn shortly before the first heat, preventing him from starting.
In its statement, the IOC said the decision followed “his refusal to comply with the IOC’s Guidelines on Athlete Expression” and confirmed that it was taken by the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation because the helmet “was not compliant with the rules.”
Olympic rules restrict political demonstrations in competition venues. Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
However, the Ukrainian delegation had insisted all week that the helmet, which shows 24 images of athletes and children killed since Russia’s invasion, was intended as an act of remembrance and did not breach the rules.
Heraskevych also believes his tribute is no different from those that other athletes have displayed, such as figure skater Maxim Naumov, who held up a photo of his parents, who were among 67 people killed in a plane crash in Washington DC, while waiting for his score to be announced on Tuesday.
The IOC said it had attempted to find alternative ways for the athlete to express remembrance, including suggestions such as wearing a black armband or displaying the helmet outside the field of play.
“This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the organisation said.
However, officials claimed that “he did not consider any form of compromise.”
Heraskevych, who had been viewed as an outside contender for a medal based on training times, described his reaction in stark terms. “It’s hard to say or put into words. It’s emptiness,” he told reporters after being disqualified.
The decision sparked criticism within the sliding community. Britain’s Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold said: “It’s actually quite shocking… I think the IOC owes him an apology. I think this was the wrong decision.”
IOC President Kirsty Coventry met with Heraskevych at the track before the final decision was taken and later spoke emotionally about the failed efforts to resolve the dispute.
“No one, especially me, is disagreeing with the messaging,” she said. “It’s a powerful message… The challenge was to find a solution for the field of play.”
Heraskevych said the individuals pictured on the helmet included athletes such as teenage weightlifter Alina Peregudova, boxer Pavlo Ishchenko and ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, some of whom he knew personally.
Earlier on Thursday, he made a public appeal asking Olympic officials to reverse the ban. “I never wanted a scandal with the IOC, and I did not create it,” he said.
The IOC said the decision to “withdraw his accreditation” was “taken by the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) based on the fact that the helmet he intended to wear was not compliant with the rules.”
The full IOC statement can be found here.
