Overview
- Ukrainian skeleton racer Wladyslaw Heraskewytsch says he will compete on Thursday and Friday with the portrait-covered helmet after using it throughout official training.
- The IOC reiterated that the design violates Rule 50.2 and cautioned that starting with the helmet could lead to disciplinary measures, including disqualification.
- IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the athlete may show the helmet outside the field of play, speak freely in media settings and wear a black armband during races.
- Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky and the national Olympic committee, back the tribute, while DOSB president Thomas Weikert urges compliance with IOC rules.
- The helmet features images of roughly two dozen Ukrainian athletes killed in the war, and Heraskewytsch rejects the armband offer, insisting the memorial belongs in competition.