Zelenskyy personally meets Heraskevych, awards him Order of Freedom
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presents an order to Vladyslav Heraskevych (Photo: president.gov.ua)
In Munich, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych and his father, the coach of Ukraine’s skeleton team, Mykhailo Heraskevych. The head of state presented the athlete with the Order of Freedom and thanked him for his principled stance, according to the Office of the President.
Zelenskyy praised Vladyslav Heraskevych’s civic position and his support for Ukraine on the international stage.
“With great respect to you, and certainly to all our Olympians who have stood by you and your position. Medals are important for Ukraine and for you, but what matters most, to my mind, is who you are. I consider you a remarkable person. And I am confident that all other achievements, which are so important to you, will surely come. And Ukraine will have both champions and Olympians. But above all, Ukraine’s greatest asset is Ukrainians. You embody that kind of person,” the president said.
In turn, Vladyslav Heraskevych thanked the president for his support and emphasized that Ukrainians have united against injustice.
“Most importantly, the whole world is now truly talking about the athletes depicted on this helmet. And despite their deaths, they are now drawing attention to Ukraine. They are rallying support for Ukraine. And that is truly something very special,” the athlete said.
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy presents an order to Vladyslav Heraskevych (president.gov.ua)
What preceded this
Heraskevych’s helmet featured portraits of 22 Ukrainian athletes who were killed by Russia. The athlete had planned to compete wearing it at the skeleton events at the 2026 Winter Olympics, as a tribute and in memory of the Ukrainian athletes who will never be able to compete again due to Russian aggression.
However, a few hours before his first run, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) disqualified Vladyslav Heraskevych. The IOC stated that the helmet violated the Olympic Charter and banned its use during competition and training.
“The most important thing is that we are not trying to break any rules or be barbarians. We will continue anyway, despite everything, we will continue to fight for our rights,” the athlete said.
Vladyslav’s father and coach of Ukraine’s skeleton team, Mykhailo Heraskevych, also noted the broad support for this act, not only among Ukrainians but also among friends of Ukraine abroad.
“Everything you have done is right. And what matters is how people responded. Thank you for that,” the president emphasized.
On February 13, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Milan began considering Heraskevych’s appeal against the IOC. However, the court ruled against the athlete.
