Skeleton racer disqualified from Olympics returns to Ukraine, plans fundraiser for fallen athletes

Ukrainian Skeleton Racer Returns Home After Olympic Disqualification Over Memorial Helmet

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has returned to Kyiv following his controversial disqualification from the Milan Cortina Olympics, finding comfort in his homeland despite ongoing power, heating, and water disruptions as temperatures plunge to minus 12 degrees Celsius.

“Despite all that, home is the warmest place,” Heraskevych told The Associated Press on Wednesday while standing in Kyiv’s central square.

The athlete, who had been considered a medal contender, was disqualified just 45 minutes before his competition on February 12 after refusing to remove a helmet honoring more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed during Russia’s invasion. The Court of Arbitration for Sport later denied his appeal against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, though by then his race had already begun without him.

The controversy generated significant international media attention, which Heraskevych now plans to leverage for a new fundraising initiative benefiting the families of those memorialized on his helmet.

“It wasn’t me who drew attention to Ukraine — it was them,” he said, referring to the fallen athletes and coaches. “It is their voices that are heard very loudly.”

Recalling his disqualification, Heraskevych described a “respectful but fruitless” conversation with IOC President Kirsty Coventry approximately an hour before his event. “Unfortunately, we were not heard,” he said, adding that IOC representatives failed to clearly explain how his helmet violated Olympic rules.

Coventry has maintained that the disqualification was justified under guidelines for athlete expression at the Olympics, which state that “the focus on the field of play during competitions and official ceremonies must be on celebrating athletes’ performances.” However, Heraskevych never made it to the field of play for his competition.

The Ukrainian athlete also highlighted what he sees as inconsistent rule enforcement, pointing to an Italian snowboarder’s helmet featuring a Russian flag without penalty. The helmet worn by Roland Fischnaller displayed multiple flags commemorating past Olympic venues, including the 2014 Sochi Games. Heraskevych further claimed that Ukrainian athletes observed Russian flags in Olympic venue stands, which were supposedly prohibited by the IOC.

Russian athletes have not competed under their national flag at Winter Olympics since 2014, following Russia’s doping scandal at the Sochi Games. Instead, some participate as “neutral athletes.” Ukraine’s sports minister recently criticized IOC actions that the government believes signal potential easing of restrictions against Russian athletes.

“I told her that, from the outside, based on what I read in the media, it looks like you are playing along with Russia,” Heraskevych said of his conversation with Coventry.

The controversy extends beyond the Olympics, as the International Paralympic Committee announced Tuesday that Russia’s National Paralympic Committee has been awarded six slots for the upcoming Paralympics from March 6-15.

Coventry has stated that Heraskevych and his father inquired about IOC assistance for Ukraine’s urgent needs, such as generators to address the country’s compromised power grid. She indicated willingness to work with them to seek help from leaders and governments.

“The IOC has, in the last few years, given over $10 million to Ukraine, to the NOC, to sports, to athletes. We want to continue to do that,” Coventry said. The IOC has not confirmed whether it will contribute directly to Heraskevych’s new fundraising initiative.

For Heraskevych, standing by his principles came at a significant personal cost. He began training in skeleton with his father in 2014, pioneering the sport in Ukraine without established infrastructure or senior teammates for guidance.

Based on his performance in official training runs before the Olympics—finishing no worse than sixth place and posting the fastest time in one session—Heraskevych likely would have been a legitimate medal contender in Cortina.

“It truly hurts, and we have really been working toward this for a very long time,” he reflected.

Despite the disappointment, Heraskevych stands by his decision. The helmet’s portraits represent only a fraction of the “countless” friends and acquaintances he lost during the war.

“Many people I knew left us far too early, at the age when they should have been starting families and building their lives,” he said. “Instead, we now have death in their place — and it hurts.”