Overview
- On Feb. 13, the CAS ad hoc panel rejected Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych’s appeal, upholding his disqualification over a helmet bearing images of deceased athletes.
- The arbitrator applied IOC guidance that allows expression in media areas but restricts messages during competition and deemed the sanction proportionate.
- IOC president Kirsty Coventry spoke with the athlete after his accreditation was briefly removed, and he was allowed to remain at the Games.
- On Feb. 12, a separate CAS panel upheld the ISU’s temporary suspension of Estonian figure-skating coach Raimo Reinsalu, preventing his Olympic participation.
- The ISU action followed allegations by Latvian skater Sofja Stepchenko of physical and psychological abuse linked to mental‑health and eating‑disorder struggles, and Ukraine’s president later honored Heraskevych.