Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladislav Heraskevich, competing in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, was disqualified for racing with a helmet depicting photos of athletes who died in the Russia-Ukraine war. Mixail Heraskevich, the athlete's father and coach, could not hold back his tears after the decision.
According to Milli.Az, 27-year-old Vladislav Heraskevich used a special helmet with images of war victims both in training and in official preparation stages. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that this helmet violated Olympic rules (ban on political symbols).
IOC officials, including the committee chair Kirsty Coventry, tried to persuade the athlete to change the helmet, but Heraskevich firmly refused.
IOC's statement: "We very much wanted Mr. Heraskevich to compete. Respecting his desire to commemorate his fallen friends, we discussed how this could be done within the rules, but he refused any compromise."
The athlete, excluded from the competitions, reacted harshly to the decision on his social media account. Defending his choice with the phrase "This is the price of our honor," he emphasized that he will not abandon his principles.
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