Ukrainian Racer Disqualified from Winter Olympics for Helmet Honoring Athletes Killed in War With Russia

David GilmourFeb 12th, 2026, 6:44 am
 

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympics after defying a direct warning from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over a helmet bearing images of Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia.

The IOC withdrew the 27-year-old’s accreditation on Thursday morning, preventing him from starting his heats at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in a statement that misspelled his first name

Heraskevych later took to X to protest: “This is the price of our dignity.” He said he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Officials had ruled that the helmet breached rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”.

Earlier this week, the IOC offered what it described as a “compromise”, permitting Heraskevych to wear a black armband instead. He refused, saying it was the helmet or nothing.

“I will not betray these athletes. These athletes sacrificed their lives, and because of this sacrifice, I am able to be here, so I will not betray them,” he told SportsBeat editor Charlie Bennett on Wednesday.

He continued: “An Olympic medal would be huge. Since my childhood, it’s my big dream. But in this time, in time of full-scale war, some things are really more important than medals. At this point, I would say that a medal is worthless in comparison to people’s lives, and I believe in comparison to memory of these athletes.”

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