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Ukrainian Skeleton Racer Defies IOC, Vows to Honor Fallen Athletes at 2026 Winter Games
MILAN – Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych is set to make a powerful statement at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, announcing his intention to compete with a helmet adorned with images of Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia’s war on his country. This defiant move comes despite a direct prohibition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Heraskevych, speaking to journalists Tuesday, emphasized the profound sacrifice of these athletes. “We are able to enjoy sport and enjoy Olympics, it’s also because of their sacrifice, and I believe they deserve to be here today with me and also they deserve to be with me on competition day,” he stated.
When questioned about potential repercussions for competing with the helmet, Heraskevych pointed to what he perceives as a double standard. “During this Olympics, it was a lot of political statements from U.S. athletes, even in sport arenas.
It was Russian flag already on the helmet of one of the athletes. So they didn’t receive any sanctions, any penalties.
So if it’s equal treatment to me, it should be the same.” He affirmed his unwavering commitment, declaring, “I will not betray them,” when asked if potential disqualification would be worth it.
The Ukrainian Olympic team shared a letter from the IOC with CBS News, outlining the committee’s stance. The IOC acknowledged the global climate of conflict and tragedy, stating it “fully understands the desire of the athletes to remember their friends who have lost their lives as a result of many conflicts around the world.”
However, the IOC maintained that “the focus of the Olympic Games must remain on athletes’ performances, sport and the international unity and harmony that the Olympic Games seek to advance.” It reiterated a fundamental principle of separating sports from political, religious, or other interference, applied equally to all participants.
Consequently, the IOC informed Heraskevych that he would not be permitted to compete with his personalized helmet, as seen in training and on social media. As a compromise, the committee offered an exception: “should the athlete wish to pay tribute to his fellow athletes and express his sorrow by wearing a black armband or ribbon without any personalization.”
Heraskevych previously revealed on social media that the helmet depicts numerous athletes, some of whom died defending Ukraine, while others were victims of Russian shelling. He noted that the images include both summer and winter Olympians, referring to them as members of the “Olympic family.”
Among those featured are national teammate Dmytro Sharper and Youth Olympic boxing medalist Maksym Halinichev, alongside children and supporters of veteran sports. “I will compete for them,” Heraskevych declared.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly supported Heraskevych’s initiative, noting that the helmet features “figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, who died in the battles near Bakhmut, 19-year-old biathlete Yevhen Malyshev, who was killed by the occupiers near Kharkiv, and other athletes who lost their lives in the Russian war.”
President Zelenskyy commended Heraskevych, the Ukrainian team’s flag bearer, for “reminding the world of the price of our struggle.” He added, “This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or called a ‘political action at sporting events.’
It is a reminder to the whole world of what modern Russia is like. And this is what reminds everyone of the global role of sport and the historical mission of the Olympic movement as such.
It is all about peace and for the sake of life. Ukraine is faithful to this.
Russia proves the opposite.”
Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed the Ukrainian government’s regret over the IOC’s decision. Tykhyi highlighted the devastating impact of the war on Ukrainian sports infrastructure, with approximately 800 facilities destroyed or damaged, including at least 20 Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic training sites.
“This is a simple act of paying tribute to hundreds of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia during this war, and there is nothing illegal or political or inappropriate in this,” Tykhyi asserted. He criticized what he perceived as an attempt by “bureaucrats” to ignore the ongoing conflict, stating, “the problem is that the reality does not disappear if you close your eyes and if you just want to ignore the largest war of aggression in Europe since World War II happening right now at this moment of the Olympic Games.”