A Ukrainian skeleton racer said on Monday that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had blocked him from using a helmet commemorating athletes killed in Ukraine’s war.
Vladyslav Heraskevych said the helmets contained images of about six athletes killed in Russian attacks. The design pays tribute to colleagues in the sporting world who lost their lives in the war.
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Hraskovic, 27, wore the helmet during official Winter Olympics training in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Monday. It’s unclear whether he will be allowed to use it in a game later this week.
Hraskevich said in a video posted on Instagram that IOC representatives responsible for communicating with athletes and national Olympic committees told him he was not allowed to use the helmet in training or competition.
He said he hoped the decision reflected the views of individual officials rather than the IOC’s views as a whole.
“This decision simply breaks my heart,” Hraskevich wrote.
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He said he would now submit a formal request to the International Olympic Committee, according to English subtitles in the video.
Asked for comment, the IOC told the dpa news agency that it had not yet received a formal request from Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee to approve the helmet. The IOC said it would review such requests once they are submitted.
Under its statutes, the IOC prohibits political messages.
