Overview
- Ukrainian slider Vladyslav Heraskevych used a helmet bearing portraits of compatriot athletes killed in the war during early training at Milano–Cortina, but the IOC ruled it cannot be used in official training or competition.
- IOC representative Toshio Tsurinaga formally notified the Ukrainian Olympic Committee of the prohibition, and Heraskevych says he will appeal the decision that he called heartbreaking.
- IOC spokesperson Mark Adams defended the restriction under Rule 50’s neutrality requirement, offered permission for a black mourning armband, and said the committee wants Heraskevych to compete and can express his tribute in media settings.
- Ukraine’s leadership has rallied behind the athlete, with President Volodymyr Zelensky endorsing the tribute and the Verkhovna Rada passing a resolution urging the IOC to allow commemorative symbols for victims of Russian aggression.
- The men’s skeleton event starts February 13, and Heraskevych has indicated he may still attempt to use the helmet, leaving the standoff unresolved and potential disciplinary consequences in play.