Cortina (Italy) (AFP) - Ukrainian Vladislav Heraskevich was excluded Thursday from the Skeleton competition at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, in a decision he appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), after he refused to withdraw from wearing his banned helmet that showed pictures of victims of the war in his country with Russia.

Published on: 02/12/2026 - 11:17 Last updated: 02/12/2026 - 19:59

"He has been disqualified," a Ukrainian Olympic Committee spokesman told AFP, while the IOC said in a statement that Heraskevich "is not permitted to participate in Milan-Cortina 2026 after refusing to adhere to the IOC's guidelines on athlete expression."

On Tuesday, the International Committee suggested that Heraskevich wear a black armband, and on Monday it held a meeting with Heraskevich’s coach and his accompanying team.

The International Committee continued, "Accordingly, the International Olympic Committee has decided, with regret, to withdraw its accreditation for the 2026 Olympics. Despite many conversations and direct communication with Mr. Heraskiewicz, most recently with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he did not wish to make any concession."

Heraskevich (27 years old) defended his decision, as he wrote in a post on the “X” platform, along with a picture with the helmet, “This is the price of our dignity.”

He told reporters on the sidelines of the competition, "From the beginning, I truly believe that it is a misinterpretation by the International Olympic Committee of its regulations. Taking such a decision today is completely wrong."

He continued, "They dealt differently with other athletes who were in an almost similar situation and were not punished. For example, in the snowboard competitions, one of the athletes raised the Russian flag, and according to the regulations of the International Olympic Committee, the Russian flag is prohibited, but this athlete was not punished."

Heraskevich considered that "this situation serves Russian propaganda, and this is unacceptable."

He had indicated in another post before the committee announced his exclusion, "I never wanted to create a scandal with the International Olympic Committee, and I was not the one who caused it. The International Olympic Committee created it through its interpretation of the rules, an interpretation that many consider discriminatory."

He also called on the committee to lift the helmet ban, apologize “for the pressure exerted on me during the past days,” and “provide electric generators to Ukrainian sports facilities that suffer daily from bombing.”

The Ukrainian participated in training on Monday wearing a gray helmet bearing pictures of a number of his compatriots who were killed in the war.

As expected, Heraskevich decided to appeal the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as the latter announced in a statement in which it said, “The complaint (submitted by the Ukrainian) objects to the decision issued by the arbitration committee of the International Skeleton Federation, which considered that Mr. Heraskevich intended to wear a helmet during the competition bearing images of Ukrainian athletes who died in the war, which was considered a violation of the Olympic Charter.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the Olympic Committee's decision via X, saying, "This decision has nothing to do with the Olympic principles, which are based on justice and supporting peace."

He added, "We are proud of Vladislav and what he did. Courage is more valuable than any medal."

"Moment of shame"

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sepiga also sharply criticized the International Olympic Committee, saying via X: “The International Olympic Committee did not ban the Ukrainian athlete, but rather banned her reputation. Future generations will remember this as a moment of shame.”

"All he wanted to do was honor fellow athletes who were killed in the war. There is nothing against the rules or ethics in that," he added.

The Ukrainian Olympic Committee supported him and said on social media, "The entire Ukrainian people were with them, and will always remain with them. When an athlete defends truth, dignity and memory, this in itself is a victory."

Ukrainian Youth and Sports Minister Matvey Bednyi told AFP this month that Russia had killed “more than 650 athletes and coaches,” according to the latest available data.

Heraskevich, the flag bearer of the Ukrainian delegation at the opening ceremony, was considered one of the most prominent Ukrainian hopes to win a medal, as he finished the last world championship in fourth place.

Following the invasion, the International Olympic Committee banned Russia from Olympic competitions. A limited number of Russian athletes are participating in the Milan-Cortina Games, but as neutral athletes.

Gestures of a political nature during competitions have been prohibited since 2021 under Article 50 of the Olympic Charter, although athletes are allowed to express their opinions in press conferences and on social media.

Heraskevich had raised a banner reading "No to war in Ukraine" during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, days before the start of the Russian invasion of his neighbour.

The conflict led to widespread destruction, leaving entire cities destroyed, and tens of thousands of dead, both military and civilian, while millions were forced to flee their homes.

© 2026 AFP

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