The IOC disqualified Ukraine’s skeleton captain for wearing a helmet honoring athletes killed by Russia. Zelensky says it proves the Olympics sides with the aggressor.
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) disqualified Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych before his opening heat at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, citing his refusal to follow International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines on athlete self-expression.
Heraskevych, who arrived in Italy as the captain of Ukraine’s skeleton team, had intended to compete wearing a helmet emblazoned with the portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia’s invasion. “It is an honor for me to wear their images and show the world the price Ukraine pays daily in this bloody war,” Heraskevych said in a social media post in which he unveiled the design. “We remember those whose lives Russia has taken.”
The Ukrainian athletes depicted on Heraskevych’s helmet
- Dmytro Sharpar, figure skater. Killed in combat near Bakhmut.
- Yevhen Malyshev, biathlete. Killed in combat outside Kharkiv.
- Maksym Halynychev, boxer. Killed in the Luhansk region.
- Karyna Bakhur, kickboxer. Killed in a Russian strike on Berestyn in the Kharkiv region.
- Alina Perehudova, weightlifter. Killed in Mariupol.
- Darya Kurdel, dancer. Killed in a missile strike in Kryvyi Rih.
- Pavlo Ishchenko, decathlete. Killed in combat.
- Ivan Kononenko, athlete. Killed in combat in Kursk.
- Oleksiy Loginov, hockey player. Killed in combat.
- Mykyta Kozubenko, diver. Killed in combat.
- Oleksii Khabarov, marksman. Killed in combat.
Heraskevych donned the helmet for an official training run ahead of the races, but the IOC later informed him he was barred from using what has become known as his “helmet of remembrance” during competition. Heraskevych posted about the ruling on social media on February 10. The post drew immediate support from President Volodymyr Zelensky, who emphasized that the helmet depicts Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia, adding, “This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or labeled a political action at sports competitions.”
On February 12, the IBSF published a jury decision stating that both the organization and the IOC found the helmet “inconsistent with the Olympic Charter and Guidelines on Athlete Expression.” According to the ruling, what was described as a “conciliatory meeting” took place on February 11, during which Heraskevych affirmed his intention to wear the helmet in competition, even after being advised that doing so could result in his disqualification. As a result, he was removed from the start list.
In a separate statement, the IOC addressed the disqualification, stating that Heraskevych “did not consider any form of compromise,” despite “multiple exchanges and in-person meetings” with officials, including IOC President Kirsty Coventry. The committee emphasized that it had permitted Heraskevych to wear the special helmet during training runs and had proposed that he display it in the mixed zone immediately after the competition:
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.
On the day of the race, Heraskevych issued a statement insisting that he “never wanted a scandal.” “The IOC created it with its interpretation of the rules, which many view as discriminatory,” he tweeted. Heraskevych also presented three terms for a resolution: that the IOC lift the ban on his helmet, apologize for the “pressure that has been put on [him] over the past few days,” and provide power generators for Ukrainian sports facilities “as a sign of solidarity.” “I very much hope for a response before the start of the skeleton competitions,” Heraskevych added.
Following the IOC’s decision, Heraskevych said he had paid a “price for dignity” by “standing up for the interests of Ukraine and the memory of its athletes.” He told the television network Suspilne that he believes he broke no rules and should have been allowed to compete like others who he claims engaged in similar expressions.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the IOC had “banned not the Ukrainian athlete but its own reputation.” He called the move a “moment of shame” and condemned the committee for “systematically failing” to stand up to Russia, “the greatest violator of international sport and the Olympic Charter.”
The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine also expressed support for Heraskevych following the ruling. “Vladyslav did not start today, but he was not alone — all of Ukraine stands with him,” the organization said in a press release. “When an athlete stands up for truth, honor, and memory — that is already a victory.”
President Zelensky wrote on X that “sport shouldn’t mean amnesia”:
The Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors. Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise. This is certainly not about the principles of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace.
He added that “it is Russia that constantly violates Olympic principles, using the period of the Olympic Games to wage war: in 2008, the war against Georgia; in 2014, the occupation of Crimea; in 2022, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.” The president later issued a decree awarding Heraskevych the Order of Freedom “for selfless service to the Ukrainian people, civic courage, and patriotism in defending the ideals of freedom and democratic values.”