Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from competition on Thursday after refusing a request from the International Olympic Committee not to wear a helmet commemorating the more than 20 athletes and coaches killed in Ukraine’s war with Russia.
The decision, made about 45 minutes before the game, ended a three-day stalemate in which Hraskovic knew he could be disqualified for wearing a helmet.
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The IOC said Hraskovic could alternatively wear a black armband to mourn the fallen and a helmet during post-game media coverage, but he rejected the offer.
“To me, standing back would be a betrayal of (the person in the photo on the helmet),” Hraskevich told NBC News.
Hraskevich finished fourth at last year’s world championships and was one of the fastest runners in pre-Olympic training.
Intervention by the International Olympic Committee will not solve the problem
Mykhailo Heraskevych, father of Ukrainian pole dancer Vladyslav Heraskevych, reacts as he sits next to the starting room at the Sliding Center at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, February 12, 2026. Fatima Scheber
IOC President Kirsty Coventry met with Hraskevich earlier on Thursday in an attempt to break the deadlock, but he stood his ground, leading to his disqualification.
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The Associated Press reported that Coventry, who was scheduled to compete in an alpine skiing event, went to the ice skating center to greet him. When he arrived around 8:15 a.m., she was waiting at the top of the track and the two met privately for about 10 minutes.
“No one, least of all me, disagrees with that message, it’s a powerful message, it’s a message of remembrance, it’s a message of memory, there’s no one who disagrees with that,” Coventry said.
“The challenge for us was to find a solution for the playing surface. … Unfortunately, we couldn’t find that solution. I really wanted to see him play today. It was an exciting morning.”
“She told me she really wanted me to compete,” Hraskevich said of the meeting. “But at the same time, she couldn’t explain to me what was the difference between my situation and other people’s situations?”
Ukrainian pole athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych holds a crash helmet as he stands outside the sliding center during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, February 12, 2026. alexandra tarantino
He cited examples such as an American figure skater who brought a photo of his late parents, who died in a plane crash last January, and an Israeli skeleton athlete who wore a kippah bearing the names of the 11 athletes and coaches who died at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
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“One contestant honored the deceased by wearing their memory on his head,” Hraskovic wrote on Instagram. “Frankly, I don’t understand how the two cases are fundamentally different.”
The IOC said in a statement, “Ukraine’s skeleton skier Vladislav Hraskevich was given one last chance but this morning will not be able to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. The decision comes after he refused to comply with the IOC’s Athlete Performance Guidelines. The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) jury made the decision because the helmet he intended to wear was not in compliance with the rules.”
Hraskevich plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Four years ago, the IOC backed Hraskevich
The International Olympic Committee had previously sided with Hraskevich.
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When he displayed a “No War in Ukraine” sign at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the International Olympic Committee said he was only calling for peace and did not find that he violated the Olympic Charter.
A few days ago, before being disqualified, Hraskovic mentioned the incident on X, writing:
“The IOC has changed dramatically in these four years. At that time, in that action, they saw the call for peace and did not impose any sanctions against me. Now, at the Olympics, we have seen a large number of Russian flags in the stands, on the helmet of an athlete – this is not a violation for the IOC. However, violations were found in the ‘Memory Helmet’, which is a tribute to members of the Ukrainian sports family who were killed since the last Olympic Games were held.”
Hraskevich said he believed the IOC betrayed the athlete’s memory and that Ukraine could have won a medal if he had been allowed to compete.
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International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said allowing unrestricted messaging on the field “would lead to a chaotic situation”.
“Sport cannot function without rules,” he added. “We would encourage him to express his grief, but ultimately it’s not the message that matters, it’s the place.”
The President of Ukraine and others expressed their opinions
Latvian team coach Ivo Steinbergs wrote a letter of protest to the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, demanding that Hraskevich be reinstated.
Steinberg also called on the International Olympic Committee to make a clearer distinction between commemorative tributes and political advocacy. He said it was heartbreaking to see Hraskevich disqualified with his father in tears beside him.
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“Vladislav did not start today, but he is not alone – the whole of Ukraine is with him,” the Ukrainian Olympic Committee said in a statement after Thursday’s ruling.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his views on X issue.
“The Olympic movement should help stop wars, not fall into the hands of invaders. Unfortunately, the IOC’s decision to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Hraskevich shows the opposite,” he wrote.
“We are proud of Vladislav and his actions. Courage is worth more than any medal,” he added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sibyha also expressed dissatisfaction.
“What the IOC banned was not Ukrainian athletes, but its own reputation. Future generations will remember this as a moment of shame,” he said.
