The International Olympic Committee has withdrawn the accreditation of Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych for the 2026 Winter Games, meaning he will be unable to compete on Thursday.
The IOC explained that the helmet the athlete wished to wear failed to meet the committee’s guidelines on athlete expression. Heraskevych intended to wear a helmet featuring portraits of Ukrainian sportspeople who were killed in Russia’s war.
In an earlier compromise, the committee agreed to let him wear the helmet during all training runs and to display it immediately after the competition in the “Mixed Zone”. However, it also noted that expressions of grief vary around the world.
Heraskevych responded briefly on social media, saying, “This is the price of our dignity”. He had previously stated that he never intended a scandal with the IOC and that the situation was caused by the committee’s interpretation of its rules, which many view as discriminatory.
He also urged the IOC to supply generators to Ukrainian sports facilities that are targeted by daily shelling, as a gesture of solidarity.
