Ukrainian athlete banned from Winter Olympics for wearing helmet honoring victims of Russian invasion

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) withdrew Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych, his country's flag-bearer and skeleton competitor, from competition at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The decision was made after the Ukrainian refused not to wear a helmet with pictures of athletes killed by Russia in the invasion of his country.

The International Olympic Committee said Heraskevych did not "adhere to the IOC athlete expression guidelines."

The IOC said in a statement: "[The decision] 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."

Meanwhile, Heraskevych defiantly posted on X: "This is [the] price of our dignity," along with a photo of his helmet. Heraskevych has the option of appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but CAS told AFP it has not heard from him.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry met Heraskevych early Thursday in a last-ditch attempt to persuade him to change his mind before his competition begins.

Coventry, a former Olympic gold medalist in swimming, was in tears after the meeting, according to video footage.

"I was not speaking to him in that room as a president, I'm speaking to him as an athlete," she said.