Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych has been disqualified from the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics for refusing to remove a helmet honoring athletes from his home nation and the children killed in the mindless war instigated by Russia.
Just 21 minutes before the first round of the men’s skeleton competition in Cortina today, February 12, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to bar Heraskevych from competing after unsuccessful attempts to reach a compromise.
The IOC said in a statement that the helmet—what Heraskevych called his “helmet of memory”—violated Guidelines on Athlete Expression.
The helmet reportedly featured 24 images of war casualties, with the IOC arguing that it did not comply with regulations.
Heraskevych was then stripped of his accreditation, making him ineligible to compete in the Games or enter the athletes’ village.
The IOC had offered him the option to wear a black armband to make his statement, having engaged in multiple discussions to try to reach agreeable terms. The 27‑year‑old, however, refused.
Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych during the Men’s Skeleton Training at the Cortina Sliding Centre, on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Italy. Picture date: Monday February 9, 2026
Breaking his silence after the IOC’s decision, the skeleton racer said: “I never wanted a scandal with the IOC, and I did not create it.”
IOC President Kirsty Coventry acknowledged the sentiment behind Heraskevych’s helmet.
“No one, especially me, is disagreeing with the messaging,” Coventry said, reduced to tears as she spoke. “It’s a powerful message, it’s a message of remembrance, of memory.”
Speaking to CNN, she clarified: “The challenge was to find a solution for the field of play. Sadly we’ve not been able to find that solution.”
What do you make of this decision? Let us know in the comments.
