A Ukrainian skeleton racer was disqualified from the Winter Olympics on Thursday after refusing to remove a helmet honoring people killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine, saying there are things that are “more important than medals.”
The International Olympic Committee said in a statement early Thursday that Ukrainian flag bearer Vladyslav Heraskevych was “not allowed to participate at Milano Cortina 2026 after refusing to adhere to the IOC athlete expression guidelines.” The decision was made by a jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, the IOC said.
Heraskevych described the ruling as “surreal” in an interview with NBC News.
“I feel like I was treated unfairly. I was stripped out of opportunity to compete, and I don’t understand why,” he said.
The disqualification was announced shortly before Heraskevych was scheduled to compete in the men’s skeleton event, where he was regarded as a legitimate medal contender. He said he was already inside the venue and had prepared his sled when officials informed him of the ruling.
“I believe I am right in this case,” he said. “For me to back down is betraying [the people pictured on the helmet].”
Heraskevych filed an application Thursday with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, challenging the federation jury’s decision.
The filing seeks to nullify the ruling, arguing that “the exclusion is disproportionate, unsupported by any technical or safety violation and causes irreparable sporting harm to him,” according to a media summary.
When announcing his intention to appeal, Heraskevych said it would take a “miracle” for him to compete at these Games.
The IOC said this week that Heraskevych’s so-called “helmet of remembrance,” which features photographs of Ukrainian athletes killed in the war, violated rules banning political statements by competitors.
Heraskevych rejected that characterization, noting he had worn the helmet throughout training sessions without issue.
“We’re dragging all this attention from the athletes, from other Olympians, to this scandal,” he said.
He also pointed to athletes in other Winter Olympic sports — including snowboarding, skiing, figure skating and luge — who are permitted to display messages on their equipment.
“They didn’t receive any penalties, any suspensions, or something like that,” he said.
Kyiv condemned the disqualification as a “moment of shame” for the IOC. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X: “The Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors. No rule has been broken.”
“Having courage is worth more than any medal,” Zelenskyy added, praising Heraskevych’s stance.
Heraskevych said support from Zelenskyy and the international community had been “huge.”
The athlete and IOC officials held multiple meetings, but the committee said Heraskevych “did not consider any form of compromise,” including after a final discussion Thursday with IOC President Kirsty Coventry at the sliding center.
Coventry, an Olympic champion swimmer, said she had hoped for a different outcome. “No one, no one — especially me — is disagreeing with the messaging. The messaging is a powerful message,” she told reporters, visibly emotional.
“As you’ve all seen over the last few days, we’ve allowed for Vladyslav to use his helmet in training,” Coventry said. “The challenge that we are facing is that we wanted to ask or come up with a solution for just the field of play.”
Heraskevych said Coventry expressed a desire for him to compete but failed to explain why his case differed from those of other athletes.
Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.” Heraskevych said the IOC also cited part of Rule 40, which governs media and athlete expression during the Games.
The IOC said it was “very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete” and had proposed allowing him to wear the helmet during training, display it immediately after competition, or wear a black armband to symbolize national mourning — but insisted the helmet could not be worn during competition itself.
“The essence of this case is not about the message, it is about where he wanted to express it,” the IOC said.
At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Heraskevych displayed a “No war in Ukraine” sign after his final run, which the IOC said did not violate its rules as it was a call for peace. Russia launched its full-scale invasion days after those Games concluded.
Heraskevych said the helmet worn in Milan features images of athletes and civilians killed in the war, including figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, his teammate at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games, and boxer Maksym Halinichev. Some were Olympians, others were children, and some were personal friends.
“All of them were athletes or people closely related to sports,” he said, adding that he wanted to honor them at the Olympics because, although they were killed, “they still made it there.”
“The whole world can memorize them all together in a beautiful tribute. It was a goal from the first day,” he said.
“I would say [it’s] painful that it really looks like discrimination, because many athletes already were expressing themselves. … They didn’t face the same things. So, suddenly, just the Ukrainian athlete in this Olympic Games will be disqualified for the helmet,” he added.
Heraskevych has also criticized the participation of athletes who formerly represented Russia and Belarus, questioning why they have been cleared to compete.
Ukraine’s Olympic Committee said in a statement Thursday: “Vladislav did not start today, but he was not alone — all of Ukraine was with him. Because when an athlete stands up for truth, honor and memory — this is already a victory.”
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed that sentiment, calling the decision “a moment of shame.”
“The IOC has banned not the Ukrainian athlete, but its own reputation,” Sybiha said on X, adding that “Russians who must be banned, not the commemoration of their victims.”
Heraskevych said: “The Olympics is about peace. And I don’t see anything what can disturb people in this pictures.”
“The helmet was called by people ‘memory helmet.’ It’s not a conflict helmet,” he said.
He added: “Some things are more important, and I believe honoring and remembering these athletes is now more important than medals.”
