Team Ukraine showed support for skeleton runner Vladyslav Heraskevych as every team member knelt and raised their helmets after competing in the luge relay at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday.
Hraskevich was banned from the Milan Cortina Games on Thursday after the International Olympic Committee disqualified him for wearing a helmet commemorating Ukrainian athletes who died during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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The IOC cited Article 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states that “no demonstrations or political, religious or racial propaganda of any kind shall be allowed at any Olympic venues, venues or other areas.”
Ukrainian bobsled team members Ihor Hoi, Yulianna Tunytska, Oleksandra Mokh, Andriy Mandziy, Nazarii Kachmar and Olena Stetskiv kneel and raise their helmets after competing in the mixed relay race at the Cortina Games in Milan on February 12, 2026. (Photo: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
(Frank Fife via Getty Images)
IOC officials urged Hraskevich to wear a black armband or ribbon instead of a helmet during competition, but he refused. (Armbands and ribbons are also not allowed, but as a compromise, exceptions will be made in this case.)
“American figure skaters, Canadian freeskiers, Israeli skeleton athletes are here today and they are not facing the same thing,” Hraskevich told reporters after meeting with IOC President Kirsty Coventry. “Suddenly, only one Ukrainian athlete at this Olympics will be disqualified from wearing this helmet.”
The Ukrainian freestyle skier was also told she could not wear a helmet emblazoned with the words “Brave like a Ukrainian”.
Ukraine’s Olina Smakha displays a message on her gloves in support of the victims during the country’s conflict with Russia. Ukraine’s performance in the women’s single bobsled event at the 2026 Cortina Winter Olympics. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
(Richard Heathcote via Getty Images)
Ukraine finished sixth in the luge relay team event, behind Latvia and the United States. Germany won gold in the event, Austria won silver and home country Italy won bronze.
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Ahead of Thursday’s relay, the president of the German Olympic Sports Federation encouraged Hraskevich to comply with International Olympic Committee regulations and wear the armband.
Separately, Ukrainian bobsledder Olina Smakha displayed a message taped to the palm of her glove that read “Memorial is not a violation” during the women’s singles bobsleigh race on Tuesday in support of her compatriots.
Smaha finished 20th in the race and presumably faced some kind of penalty.
