The International Olympic Committee (IOC) revoked Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladylsav Heraskevych’s accreditation for the 2026 Winter Olympics, meaning he will not be able to start on Thursday.
The IOC said it made this decision because the helmet Heraskevych intended to wear did not meet the committee’s rules on athlete expression. The helmet would show portraits of Ukrainian sportspeople who were killed in Russia’s invasion.
The committee explained that it had previously sought a compromise to allow Heraskevych to honor his fellow athletes. He was permitted to wear the helmet during all training runs and could have displayed it immediately after a race while passing through the “Mixed Zone”. However, the IOC noted that expressions of mourning are not understood or displayed the same way around the world.
Heraskevych offered only a brief response. “This is the price of our dignity” he posted on social media. In a previous video message he insisted he never wanted to stir up a scandal with the IOC and had not caused it. “The IOC created it with its interpretation of the rules, which many see as discriminatory” he said. He also urged the IOC to supply Ukrainian sports facilities with power generators as a sign of solidarity, pointing out that these sites are under daily shelling.