Ukrainian Olympian Disqualified After Refusing to Remove War Memorial Helmet

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has accused the Winter Olympics of promoting Russian propaganda after his disqualification for refusing to remove a helmet bearing images of Ukrainian war victims.

The 26-year-old athlete was barred from competition less than an hour before his scheduled event Thursday, following a meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry where he stood firm on his decision to wear the tribute helmet.

“I believe this Olympic Games is playing along with Russian propaganda,” said Heraskevych, who plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. “We already saw a lot of Russian flags on a fence, on an athlete’s helmet, in the news, it’s everywhere.”

The helmet features images of Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia’s invasion, including teenage weightlifter Alina Peregudova, boxer Pavlo Ishchenko, and ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov. Heraskevych maintained that abandoning his tribute would betray those who lost their lives, even though he posted the fastest training time and was considered a medal contender.

The IOC cited Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter in its decision, which states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.” This ruling comes amid the larger context of Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in massive casualties and infrastructure damage throughout the country.

Russia has been officially banned from the Olympics since the invasion began, though 13 Russian athletes are competing in the current Winter Games under a neutral flag, a compromise that has drawn criticism from Ukrainian officials and athletes.

During Thursday’s meeting, Coventry reportedly pleaded with Heraskevych to instead wear a black armband and display the helmet after competition. She was photographed leaving the meeting in tears, later stating: “I was not meant to be here, but felt that it was really important to come and talk to him face-to-face. I think this is a difficult situation that we are all in. Again, I don’t think anyone is disagreeing with the messaging.”

Heraskevych has requested the IOC allow him to compete, publicly apologize for causing him stress, and provide electrical generators for Ukrainian sports facilities suffering from daily Russian attacks. The energy infrastructure in Ukraine has been severely damaged by targeted Russian bombing campaigns, leaving many facilities without reliable power.

The Ukrainian athlete has also accused the IOC of hypocrisy, pointing to American figure skater Maxim Naumov, who held up a photo of his parents—victims among 67 people killed in a Washington DC plane crash—while awaiting his score on Tuesday. Heraskevych argues this display was permitted while his tribute was not.

“Many people told me don’t do it, and that I have proved my point, but I can’t betray others,” Heraskevych said. “I feel emptiness. I want peace in my country, and I believe we should honour people who sacrificed their lives.”

The IOC first flagged Heraskevych’s helmet on Monday and officially informed him of the rule violation on Tuesday. Despite warnings, the athlete announced his plan to defy the rules during a press conference in Cortina town centre.

“I was at many funerals when I was in Ukraine, and it’s truly, truly terrible tragedy, and young people at such a young age were killed by the state,” Heraskevych said. “I believe they deserve to be here. I want to honour them and honour their families.”

Great Britain’s Matt Weston, who currently leads the men’s skeleton competition at the halfway point, expressed sympathy for Heraskevych: “On a personal level, I’m really sad that he’s missed out on being able to compete. I think that’s gutting for anyone. I chat to him all the time and he’s kind of a big personality within the circuit.”

The IOC stated that athletes are permitted to “express grief with dignity and respect” at multi-faith centers in Olympic villages, and clarified that the decision to withdraw Heraskevych’s accreditation was made by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation jury based on rule non-compliance.