Zelenskyy rips IOC after Ukrainian athlete gets disqualified over helmet honoring victims of Russian war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ripped the International Olympic Committee (IOC) connected Thursday aft an jock was disqualified for wearing a helmet to grant victims successful the warfare with Russia.

The IOC said Ukrainian skeleton jock Vladyslav Heraskevych’s determination to proceed to deterioration the helmet that paid tribute to much than 20 athletes and coaches who died successful the warfare violated the organization’s argumentation against making governmental statements connected the tract of play.

The ruling caused monolithic backlash among Ukrainian athletes.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a associated quality league with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, successful Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

"Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic question should assistance halt wars, not play into the hands of aggressors," Zelenskyy wrote connected societal media. "Unfortunately, the determination of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise. This is surely not astir the principles of Olympism, which are founded connected fairness and the enactment of peace.

"I convey our jock for his wide stance. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is astir grant and remembrance. It is simply a reminder to the full satellite of what Russian aggression is and the outgo of warring for independence. And successful this, nary regularisation has been broken."

Zelenskyy pinned the blasted connected Russia for violating "Olympic principles" with its continued wars connected neighboring nations, including his own.

Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to vie nether a neutral emblem successful the Olympics.

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych, with his helmet, which features pictures of radical killed successful the warfare with Russia, astatine the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Italy connected Feb. 12, 2026. (Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)

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"And now, successful 2026, contempt repeated calls for a ceasefire during the Winter Olympics, Russia shows implicit disregard, expanding rocket and drone strikes connected our vigor infrastructure and our people," Zelenskyy continued.

"660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches person been killed by Russia since the full-scale penetration began. Hundreds of our athletes volition ne'er again beryllium capable to instrumentality portion successful the Olympic Games oregon immoderate different planetary competitions. And yet, 13 Russians are presently successful Italy competing astatine the Olympics. They vie nether ‘neutral’ flags astatine the Games, portion successful existent beingness publically supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine and the concern of our territories. And they are the ones who merit disqualification.

"We are arrogant of Vladyslav and of what helium did. Having courageousness is worthy much than immoderate medal."

Heraskevych met with IOC President Kirsty Coventry earlier helium was acceptable to vie successful the archetypal authoritative tally successful skeleton. He said they couldn’t "find communal ground."

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 Winter Olympics, successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

The IOC expressed "regret" implicit the decision.

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"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."