Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was removed from competition at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. This was from refusing to take off a helmet that honors people killed in the war with Russia.
Officials said the helmet broke International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules that ban political statements during the games. The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation informed him in writing that his helmet went against the Olympic Charter and athlete expression guidelines.
After the ban, the athlete took to social media to “propose to end this scandal” and requested a lift to the ban.
“I never wanted a scandal with the IOC, and I did not create it,” Heraskevych wrote on X. “The IOC created it with its interpretation of the rules, which many view as discriminatory. Although the IOC’s actions have 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.”
IOC President Kirsty Coventry met with Heraskevych in Cortina d’Ampezzo before the event. She said the IOC had allowed him to wear the helmet during training and emphasized that no one disagreed with the message of remembrance. However, she explained that the problem concerned what could possibly be displayed during official competition.
Since the faces shown on the helmet would not be clearly visible while racing at high speeds, the IOC hoped Heraskevych might agree not to wear it during the event itself. Despite the discussion, they were unable to reach an agreement, and therefore Heraskevych did not compete.
Heraskevych also voiced his issues with Russian athletes being allowed to compete, suggesting they are the ones who “deserve disqualification.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the IOC’s decision,
“Hundreds of our athletes will never again be able to take part in the Olympic Games or any other international competitions. And yet, 13 Russians are currently in Italy competing at the Olympics,” the Ukrainian president said.
Heraskevych protests how everyone competes under “neutral” flags at the Games, while in real life the business publicly supports Russian aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of their territories.
