Ukrainian skeleton racer Heraskevych disqualified at Olympics over memorial helmet
Vladyslav Heraskevych (photo: instagram.com/heraskevychvladyslav)
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was unable to start at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The athlete was disqualified immediately before his first run.
RBC-Ukraine reveals the details of the scandal.
What happened
Vladyslav Heraskevych planned to start the race wearing the memory helmet, featuring images of Ukrainian athletes who died as a result of Russian aggression. However, the first run took place without his participation.
According to reports, the decision to suspend him was made due to violations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules.
IOC position
The day before, the IOC officially banned the Ukrainian athlete from using this helmet during training and competitions, citing rules on neutrality and the prohibition of any political or memorial displays at the sporting arena.
Ignoring the ban would result in disqualification, which ultimately occurred.
Regarding the situation, the IOC issued a statement:
"Skeleton pilot Vladylsav Heraskevych from Ukraine will not be able to start his race at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games this morning. The decision followed his refusal to comply with the IOC’s Guidelines on Athlete Expression. It was taken by the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) based on the fact that the helmet he intended to wear was not compliant with the rules.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has therefore decided with regret to withdraw his accreditation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games.
Despite multiple exchanges and in-person meetings between the IOC and Mr Heraskevych, the last one this morning with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he did not consider any form of compromise.
The IOC was very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete. This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case is not about the message; it is about where he wanted to express it."
Symbol of memory
Heraskevych's memory helmet features portraits of Ukrainian athletes who died during the full-scale war. Previously, the skeleton athlete emphasized that this was his way of honoring their memory and drawing the world's attention to Ukraine’s losses.
Official comments from the athlete himself or from the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine regarding the incident are not yet available.
Earlier, we reported that the IOC is signaling the potential return of Russian athletes.
We also noted that Russian has become an official working language of the 2026 Winter Games.
