Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was barred from competing at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games on Thursday after refusing to remove a helmet honouring more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed since Russia invaded his country four years ago.
The decision came less than an hour before the start of the competition, capping a tense three-day standoff between Heraskevych and Olympic officials. The International Olympic Committee had urged him to use a different helmet during races, saying his tribute violated rules against political statements on the field of play, according to the Associated Press.
“I believe, deeply, the IBSF and IOC understand that I’m not violating any rules,” Heraskevych said. “Also, I would say (it’s) painful that it really looks like discrimination because many athletes already were expressing themselves. They didn’t face the same things. So, suddenly, just the Ukrainian athlete in this Olympic Games will be disqualified for the helmet.”
The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said wearing the helmet was “inconsistent with the Olympic Charter and Guidelines on Athlete Expression.” While he was allowed to use it during training, officials insisted he switch helmets for competition. They offered alternatives, including wearing a black armband or displaying the helmet off the ice.
Heraskevych refused.
“We didn’t find common ground in this regard,” he said after a private meeting with IOC President Kirsty Coventry at the top of the track in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Coventry later acknowledged the emotional weight of the dispute.
“No one — especially me — is disagreeing with the messaging,” Coventry said. “The messaging is a powerful message. It’s a message of remembrance. The challenge that we are facing is that we wanted to ask or come up with a solution for just the field of play.”
Heraskevych filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but the race proceeded without him. Even if the appeal succeeds, his chance to compete in these Games appears gone. He has been allowed to retain his Olympic credential but cannot race.
The ruling has drawn sharp criticism in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media that “sport shouldn’t mean amnesia” and accused the Olympic movement of failing to stand against aggression.
The controversy has intensified because a small group of Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing as neutral individuals at the Games. Heraskevych has previously criticized their participation, saying such decisions “play along with Russian propaganda.”
In a show of solidarity, Ukraine’s luge team took a knee after finishing the team relay event Thursday night and raised their plain white helmets skyward.
Heraskevych, who finished fourth at last year’s world championships and was considered a medal contender, said the tribute meant more than any podium finish.
– Ends
With inputs from Associated Press
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