Ukrainian athlete disqualified from Olympics after helmet controversy | OneFootball

The Ukrainian athlete Vladislav Heraskevych, who intended to wear a helmet with images of athletes killed during the conflict with Russia, was disqualified this Thursday (12) from the skeleton events at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“He was disqualified,” confirmed a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Olympic Committee.

The international entity stated, in a communiqué, that the athlete “will not be able to participate” in the Winter Olympics after refusing to comply with the IOC's guidelines on athlete expression.

The IOC had proposed, on Tuesday, that the Ukrainian use a black armband instead of the helmet with the images, as an exceptional measure.

“This morning, upon his arrival at the competition facilities, Heraskevych met with the IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, who explained the IOC's position for the last time. As in previous meetings, he refused to change his stance,” stated the entity in the communiqué.

“Under these conditions, the decision was made by the judges of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF), based on the fact that the helmet he wanted to use does not comply with the regulations,” the note adds.

“The IOC decided, therefore, with regret, to withdraw the credential for the 2026 Olympic Games. Despite many conversations and face-to-face discussions with Heraskevych, he did not want to reach a point of agreement,” completed the IOC.

“The price of our dignity”

In a message on the social network X, Heraskevych defended his position. “This is the price of our dignity,” he stated.

The head of Ukrainian diplomacy harshly criticized the International Olympic Committee.

“The IOC vetoed not only the Ukrainian athlete, but its own reputation. Future generations will cite this as a moment of shame,” wrote Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sibiga, on social media.

The flag bearer of Ukraine at the Olympic Games opening ceremony participated, on Monday and Wednesday, in training sessions with a “memorial helmet,” according to the term used by his team. The equipment, gray in color, features screen-printed images of several compatriots who died in the war.

Zelenski accuses the IOC

The President of Ukraine, Volodomir Zelenski, accused the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of “playing into” Russia's hands, following the disqualification of pilot Vladislav Heraskevich.

“The Olympic movement should contribute to ending wars, not playing into the hands of adversaries. Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify the Ukrainian Vladislav Heraskevich said the opposite,” declared Zelenski on social media.

* With content from AFP.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.