‘Sport should not imply amnesia – his braveness is value greater than a medal’: Now Volodymyr Zelensky weighs in on Ukrainian racer being kicked out of Winter Olympics for his protest helmet
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Vladyslav Heraskevych that ‘courage is worth more than any medal’ after the skeleton athlete was disqualified from the Olympics over his refusal to replace a helmet depicting victims of the Russian invasion.
After an extraordinary row that has bounced between Olympic bosses and Heraskevych since Monday, he was expelled from competition ahead of the first skeleton heat on Thursday morning.
The International Olympic Committee has since faced a significant backlash for upholding their rules on political messaging on Games sites and Zelenskyy has contributed with an emotive 272-word statement on social media.
He wrote: ‘Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors. Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise.
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised the IOC for banning Vladyslav Heraskevych
‘This is certainly not about the principles of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace. I thank our athlete for his clear stance. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honour and remembrance.
‘It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rule has been broken.’
Zelenskyy went on to deconstruct Russian involvement in the Olympics, which extends to 13 ‘neutral’ athletes from the nation competing here in Italy. A recent BBC investigation found four of that cohort have links to activity supporting the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy added: ‘It is Russia that constantly violates Olympic principles, using the period of the Olympic Games to wage war.
‘In 2008, it was the war against Georgia; in 2014 – the occupation of Crimea; in 2022 – the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And now, in 2026, despite repeated calls for a ceasefire during the Winter Olympics, Russia shows complete disregard, increasing missile and drone strikes on our energy infrastructure and our people. 660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russia since the full-scale invasion began. Hundreds of our athletes will never again be able to take part in the Olympic Games or any other international competitions.
‘And yet, 13 Russians are currently in Italy competing at the Olympics. They compete under “neutral” flags at the Games, while in real life publicly supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of our territories. And they are the ones who deserve disqualification. We are proud of Vladyslav and of what he did. Having courage is worth more than any medal.’
The confirmation of Heraskevych’s expulsion arrived less than an hour before he was due to compete as a serious medal contender in Cortina, with the IOC now braced for a fierce backlash for applying no leeway to their rules around political messaging.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry made one last-ditch attempt on Thursday morning to persuade Heraskevych – who has family fighting on the frontline – to end the stand-off, but with neither party willing to budge, the 27-year-old has had his accreditation stripped. It is currently unclear if he will now be ejected from the Olympic village entirely.
Vladyslav Heraskevych (pictured) has been banned from competing at the Winter Olympics after he refused to back down from wearing a helmet that featured images depicting victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Mykhailo Heraskevych (left), Vladyslav’s father and coach, was devastated upon learning of the news
IOC president Kirsty Coventry (pictured) choked up as she faced reporters, explaining that ‘she really wanted Heraskevych to race’ before stating that it had been an ’emotional morning’
Heraskevych’s immediate response was to post on social media: ‘This is the price of our dignity.’
The Ukrainian later said: ‘I am disqualified from the race. I will not get my Olympic moment.
‘They were killed, but their voice is so loud that the IOC is afraid of them. I told Coventry that this decision plays along with Russia’s narrative.
‘I sincerely believe that it is precisely because of their sacrifice that these Olympic Games can take place at all today.
‘Even though the IOC wants to betray the memory of these athletes, I will not betray them.’
Heraskevych’s father and coach, Mykhailo, were seen perched on a mound of snow crying, after learning of the news.
The IOC released a statement at 8.10am local time, which said: ‘Having been given one final opportunity, skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych from Ukraine will not be able to start his race at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games this morning.
Heraskevych’s immediate response was to post on social media: ‘This is the price of our dignity’
Heraskevych had arrived to speak to members of the media with the helmet. He said: ‘Even though the IOC wants to betray the memories of these athletes, I will not betray them’
‘The decision followed his refusal to comply with the IOC’s guidelines on athlete expression. It was taken by the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) based on the fact that the helmet he intended to wear was not compliant with the rules.
‘The International Olympic Committee has therefore decided with regret to withdraw his accreditation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games.
‘Despite multiple exchanges and in-person meetings between the IOC and Mr Heraskevych, the last one this morning with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he did not consider any form of compromise.
‘The IOC was very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete. This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case is not about the message, it is about where he wanted to express it.
‘Mr Heraskevych was able to display his helmet in all training runs. The IOC also offered him the option of displaying it immediately after the competition when going through the mixed zone.
‘Mourning is not expressed and perceived in the same way everywhere in the world. In order to support athletes in their mourning, the IOC has put in place multifaith centres in the Olympic Villages and a place of mourning, so that grief can be expressed with dignity and respect. There is also the possibility to wear a black armband during competition under certain circumstances.
‘During the Olympic Games, athletes are also offered a number of opportunities to mourn and express their views, including in the media mixed zones, on social media, during press conferences and in interviews.’
The IOC, which had been trapped between a rock and a hard place over such a charged topic, added: ‘The Guidelines on Athlete Expression were the result of a global consultation in 2021 with 3,500 athletes from all around the world. They have the full support of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and Athletes’ Commissions from International Federations and National Olympic Committees.
Heraskevych took to Instagram to make one last plea not to be disqualified hours before Olympic bosses made the announcement
‘Mr Heraskevych has been supported by the IOC for the last three editions of the Olympic Winter Games. Each time he was an Olympic scholarship holder. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IOC also set up a solidarity fund for Ukrainian sport to support the athletes’ preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.’
Heraskevych had pre-empted his disqualification with a final demand to the IOC to relent.
Taking to social media just two hours before the start of the skeleton competition at 9.30am local time on Thursday, he made it clear he would not cave in, leaving the IOC in the fiendish spot of having to relax their position on political messaging, or eject a Ukrainian hero.
He wrote: ‘I never wanted a scandal with the IOC, and I did not create it. The IOC created it with its interpretation of the rules, which many view as discriminatory.
‘Although this scandal has made it possible to loudly speak about Ukrainian athletes who have been killed, at the same time the very fact of the scandal distracts a tremendous amount of attention away from the competitions themselves and from the athletes participating in them.
‘That is why I propose to end the scandal. I ask: 1. Lift the ban on the use of the “Memory Helmet”. 2. Apologise for the pressure that has been put on me over the past few days. 3. As a sign of solidarity with Ukrainian sport, provide electric generators for Ukrainian sports facilities that are suffering from daily shellings.
‘I very much hope for a response before the start of the skeleton competitions.’
The response was not the one he wanted. For the IOC, this will also be the worst PR imaginable, though Daily Mail Sport understands their position was governed by a fear that allowing Heraskevych to wear the helmet would inevitably see those from other nations doing the same, potentially in support of questionable regimes.
In a statement released on Thursday morning, the IOC said it would permit Heraskevych to wear the helmet in training runs but not during competition because it did not comply with the IOC’s rules on athlete expression
Heraskevych later expanded on his disappointment to reporters, adding: ‘It’s hard to say or put into words. It’s emptiness.
‘I do not get my moment at this Olympics, despite I would say pretty good results in the training runs. I really believe we could be among the medallists today and tomorrow, but we will not be able to race.
‘I believe we didn’t violate any rules. In the press conference, it was told to me that I violated Rule 50. Here we have rules regarding expression, so it’s not Rule 50. I see big inconsistencies in decisions, in the wording, in the press conferences of the IOC, and I believe it’s the biggest problem that it’s inconsistent.
‘Also what [is] painful is that it looks like discrimination because athletes were already expressing themselves.’
Heraskevych intends to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but that will prove largely academic on the basis that the competition has now started.
