A Ukrainian skeleton athlete was disqualified from the Olympics because of a helmet with photos of deceased athletes

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Olympics because he “refused to adhere to the rules on self-expression.”

This was reported by the press service of the International Olympic Committee on its website.

“Vladyslav Heraskevych will not be able to start this morning in his race at the 2026 Winter Olympics,” the statement said.

The decision was made by the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation after the athlete refused to comply with IOC rules. Heraskevych planned to compete wearing a helmet featuring images of Ukrainian athletes who were killed as a result of the war with Russia. However, the organization said such equipment “does not comply with competition rules,” and Heraskevych did not accept the proposed compromise—displaying the helmet everywhere except during the runs. As a result, the IOC also revoked the athlete’s accreditation for the Olympic Games.

In response, Heraskevych wrote on Facebook that the IOC had misinterpreted its own rules and demanded an apology from the committee.

“I ask you to: lift the ban on using the memorial helmet. Apologize for the pressure exerted on me in recent days. As a sign of solidarity with Ukrainian sport, provide electric generators for Ukrainian sports facilities that suffer daily from shelling. I very much hope for a response before the start of the skeleton competition,” the athlete wrote.

It is noted that the Olympics in Milan are the third in Heraskevych’s career. In February 2022, during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, as he walked past a camera he held up a sign reading “No war in Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, IOC delegates expressed readiness to admit and welcome Russia to major competitions. In particular, the committee’s president Kirsty Coventry said that sport should remain a neutral platform.