Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych has withdrawn from the Milan/Cortina Olympics because he wanted to wear a helmet in the skeleton competition to honor athletes killed in the war with Russia.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry made a last-ditch effort to change Hraskevich’s mind when he met with him at the Cortina d’Ampezzo skating center about an hour before the start of the competition on Thursday, but failed to change his mind.
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Hraskevich said he felt “empty” after the decision and that he may take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to “defend our rights”.
Coventry said: “It’s a shame we couldn’t reach a solution. I really wanted to watch him play today. It’s an exciting morning.
“No one – no one – least of all me, disagrees with this message. This message is a powerful message of remembrance, a message of memory, and no one disagrees with that.
“We wanted to find a solution for the field. I knew he was fast, so there were only two minutes on the field without a helmet.”
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The International Olympic Committee said in a statement earlier that Hraskevich’s Olympic certification had been revoked.
“Despite numerous exchanges and face-to-face meetings between the IOC and Mr Hraskevich, the last of which was this morning with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he has not considered any form of compromise,” the statement said.
“The IOC is very keen for Mr Hraskevich to compete. That is why the IOC sat down with him to find the most respectful way to fulfill his wishes in memory of fellow athletes who lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case is not about the message, but about the message he wanted to express.”
The International Olympic Committee does not allow political speech of any kind during competitions. It offered a compromise solution that would allow skateboarders to wear black armbands, but Hraskovic didn’t want to back down and wanted to wear a helmet on the track.
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Hraskovic’s helmet bears pictures of about 20 athletes, including Youth Olympic medalists who were killed in the Russian attack. The design pays tribute to colleagues in the sporting world who lost their lives in the war.
He applied to the International Olympic Committee to wear it but was rejected earlier this week. Hraskevich did not bow, and the IOC said he reiterated on Thursday morning that he planned to wear a helmet.
The IOC pointed to the rules it developed with the athlete community regarding political messages at the Olympics.
The Olympic body said all athletes must be able to compete in a safe environment, free from the various conflicts around the world.
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“It’s not about messaging, it’s about rules and regulations. In this case, on the playing field, we have to be able to maintain a safe environment for everyone and unfortunately that means not allowing any messaging,” Coventry said.
Hraskevich insisted he had not violated the Olympic Charter and said other athletes had also expressed their opinions.
“I believe we didn’t break any rules,” he said. “I see a lot of inconsistency in the IOC’s decisions, wording and press conferences, and I think inconsistency is the biggest problem.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European political leaders have backed Hraskevich, who finished fourth at last year’s world championships and is a strong contender for an Olympic medal.
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At the 2022 Olympics, Hraskevich held up a placard reading “No War in Ukraine” after running. He was not punished by the International Olympic Committee. The Russian invasion began just days after the Beijing Olympics.
