Ukrainian skeleton racer disqualified from Winter Olympics over helmet tribute to fallen soldiers

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) disqualified Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from this year’s Winter Olympics in Milan on Thursday for breaking its rules on political expression. 

Making the announcement just before Heraskevych’s first race, the IOC said that his customised helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes who died fighting invading Russian forces “publicly conveyed the message that he would openly defy the IOC’s Guidelines on Athlete Expression”.

Heraskevych rejected the decision, saying that he had “never wanted a scandal with the IOC” and had not been responsible for it, adding that the IOC had “created it with its interpretation of the rules, which many view as discriminatory.”

Ukraine’s Olympic Committee backed their athlete, arguing that the helmet complied with IOC rules and contained no advertising or political slogans, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressing his support.

The IOC said that it had offered a compromise, suggesting Heraskevych wear a black armband or ribbon during the competition and display the helmet during training or in media appearances. 

It also told him that he could express grief and his views on social media, during press conferences and in interviews. According to the committee, he declined all proposed compromises, however. 

Two other Ukrainian athletes have had similar run-ins with their governing bodies in Milan, though both ultimately complied with their demands in order to compete.

The International Skating Union banned short-track speed skater Oleh Handei from wearing a helmet with a quote from Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko, while freestyle skier Kateryna Kotsar was barred from competing with the inscription “Be brave like Ukrainian” on her helmet, Deutsche Welle reported Thursday.