Ukrainian Olympian out of Winter Games over helmet honoring fallen countrymen

Ukrainian Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the men’s skeleton lawsuit connected Thursday aft helium refused to usage immoderate different helmet different than the 1 honoring his country’s athletes who were killed successful the warfare with Russia.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Heraskevych locked horns implicit the past 3 days astir the helmet, which the enactment said it bans owed to rules against making governmental statements connected the tract of play. IOC President Kirsty Coventry adjacent met with Heraskevych to effort to alteration his caput earlier the lawsuit began, but to nary avail.

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Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych arrives astatine the decorativeness during a men's skeleton grooming league astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics, successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

"We didn't find communal crushed successful this regard," Heraskevych said.

Heraskevych received connection from the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF), saying the helmet was "inconsistent with the Olympic Charter and Guidelines connected Athlete Expression." The IOC offered concessions to him, including wearing a achromatic armband oregon the quality to show the helmet disconnected the ice.

"I believe, deeply, the IBSF and IOC recognize that I’m not violating immoderate rules," Heraskevych said. "Also, I would accidental (it's) achy that it truly looks similar favoritism due to the fact that galore athletes already were expressing themselves. ... They didn't look the aforesaid things. So, suddenly, conscionable the Ukrainian jock successful this Olympic Games volition beryllium disqualified for the helmet."

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych arrives astatine the decorativeness during a men's skeleton grooming league astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics, successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

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The IOC expressed "regret" implicit the decision.

"As you’ve each seen implicit the past fewer days, we’ve allowed for Vladyslav to usage his helmet successful training," said Coventry, who astatine times shed tears portion speaking to reporters. "No one, nary 1 — particularly maine — is disagreeing with the messaging. The messaging is simply a almighty message. It’s a connection of remembrance. It’s a connection of representation and nary 1 is disagreeing with that. The situation that we are facing is that we wanted to inquire oregon travel up with a solution for conscionable the tract of play."

Mykhailo Heraskevych, begetter of Ukrainian skeleton jock Vladyslav Heraskevych, reacts arsenic helium sits adjacent to the commencement location of the sliding halfway astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics, successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

The helmet included much than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who were killed successful the war.

Heraskevych didn’t precisely consciousness for Coventry, saying "In Ukraine present we besides person a batch of tears." He added that the determination "plays on with Russian propaganda."

"Disqualified. I deliberation that’s capable to recognize what the modern IOC truly is and however it disgraces the thought of the Olympic movement," Ukrainian skier Kateryna Kostar wrote successful a station connected Instagram. "Vladyslav Heraskevych, for america and for the full world, you’re a champion. Even without starting."

Vladyslav Heraskevych of Ukraine during grooming arsenic helium wears a helmet successful tribute to athletes who person died amid Russia's onslaught connected Ukraine connected Feb. 11, 2026. (REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha)

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Heraskevych was a favourite to beryllium successful the apical 3 successful his event. After competing successful the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the warfare with Russia broke out, and helium helped present nutrient and supplies to his chap Ukrainians.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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