Too much of a political helmet for the Milan-Cortina Winter Games. The intention of Ukrainian Vladislav Heraskevych, 27, to compete for a skeleton medal with his helmet containing images of around 20 athletes from his country killed in the war against Russia led to his disqualification this Thursday (12), before entering the track.
After days of conversations and negotiations, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) decided to exclude it because it considered that the helmet goes against the ban on “political, religious or racial demonstrations or propaganda” in Olympic spaces.
“Nobody – me, especially – disagrees with the message. The message is powerful. It’s a message of remembrance. It’s a message of memory. It’s not about the message itself; it’s literally about rules and regulations,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a former Zimbabwe swimmer, said after personally trying to convince the athlete to compete without the images. “We need to ensure a safe environment for everyone. And unfortunately, that means no demonstrations are allowed.”
The prohibition of gestures considered political is in paragraph 2 of rule 50 of the Olympic Charter. It is also mentioned in the “Guidelines on Athlete Expression”, published in July for the current Games.
“The focus at the Olympic Games must be on the athletes’ performances, on sport and on the international unity and harmony that the Olympic Games seek to promote”, says an excerpt from the document, which, according to the IOC, is the result of a consultation with over 3,500 athletes.
Before the decision, Heraskevych had stated early on social media that he “never wanted to create a scandal with the IOC”. “The IOC created this with its interpretation of the rules, which many see as discriminatory,” he wrote.
In the message, he made a proposal to the committee to close the case: remove the ban on the “memory helmet”, as he calls the accessory, apologize for the “pressure” on him in recent days and, “as a sign of solidarity with Ukrainian sport”, provide electrical generators for the country’s sports facilities that “suffer from daily bombings”.
After the IOC’s decision, he posted a photo of himself with the helmet and the phrase “this is the price of our dignity”.
In Beijing-2022, Heraskevych had already spoken out against war in the competition area. That time, he showed the message “No to war in Ukraine”, printed on a small piece of paper in the colors of the country’s flag. The IOC considered the gesture as a “general call for peace” and did not punish him.
This time, the committee had been trying since Monday (9) to remove Heraskevych from wearing the helmet. The organization offered him to wear a black armband as an alternative. In a statement, the IOC stated this Thursday that it allowed him to wear the helmet in training and that, during negotiations, it said he could wear it immediately after the competition, in the space called the mixed zone, reserved for meetings with journalists.
“Grief is not expressed and perceived in the same way everywhere in the world. To support athletes in their grief, the IOC has provided multi-religious centers in the Olympic Villages and a space dedicated to mourning,” says the statement.
President Volodimir Zelenski used social media to criticize the decision. “Sport should not mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help end wars, not play into the hands of aggressors,” he said. For him, the helmet is a “reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the price of the fight for independence.”
“It is Russia that constantly violates Olympic principles, using the Olympic Games period to wage wars,” he wrote, listing conflicts since 2008 involving the opposing country. “Now, in 2026, despite repeated calls for a ceasefire during the Winter Olympics, Russia is showing complete disrespect, intensifying missile and drone attacks against our energy infrastructure and our people.”
Russia has been banned from the Games since 2016, first due to the systematic use of substances that led to doping of athletes and, since 2022, due to the war in Ukraine. In Milan-Cortina, 13 athletes compete as “neutrals”.
