Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has been disqualified from the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics after refusing to remove a helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said his accreditation was withdrawn for failing to comply with athlete expression guidelines, which prohibit political gestures during competition. He had been offered alternatives, including wearing a plain black armband and displaying the helmet outside competition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defended the 27-year-old, while Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described the decision as a “moment of shame.” Heraskevych called it “the price of our dignity” and may appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The IOC maintained the issue was not the message itself but the rules governing where political expression is permitted.
