IOC Disqualified Ukrainian Skeleton Athlete for Helmet Depicting Athletes Lost in War
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Heraskevych was disqualified before the first run of the Olympics, which was supposed to take place today, according to the International Olympic Committee. They indicated that the reason for this decision was the athlete's refusal to 'adhere to self-expression recommendations.' The athlete himself disagrees with this decision. According to him, he 'never wanted a scandal with the IOC' and 'did not create' one. 'The IOC created [the scandal] with its interpretation of the rules, which many consider discriminatory.' Earlier, he was supported by the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, which stated that the helmet 'fully complies with the IOC rules, contains no advertising or political slogans.' President Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke out in his support. The IOC stated that they offered the athlete a compromise of wearing 'a black armband or a black ribbon' during competitions to honor the memory of his comrades. He was also offered to display the helmet 'during training runs, immediately after competitions when passing through the mixed zone.' They indicated that he could express his grief and views 'on social media, during press conferences, and in interviews.' Heraskevych refused to consider 'any compromise options,' thus deciding to 'openly challenge the IOC's leadership on athlete self-expression,' they concluded. Two other Ukrainian athletes faced similar prohibitions. The International Skating Union banned short track speed skater Oleg Gandei from competing in a helmet with a quote from Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko. Restrictions also affected freestyle skier Kateryna Kotsar, who had the inscription 'Be brave like Ukrainian' on her helmet, notes DW.
