Ukrainian skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych will not be allowed to compete in the winter games, according to a statement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The New York Times reports that the governing board objected to the athlete's helmet, which included portraits of other athletes who have died as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“The IOC was very keen for Mr. Heraskevych to compete,” the statement said. “This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case is not about the message, it is about where he wanted to express it.”
Mark Adams, an IOC spokesperson, cited Olympic Charter Rule 40 in a statement to the Times. That rule states that competitors “shall enjoy freedom of expression … in accordance with the Guidelines determined by the IOC executive board.” Adams told reporters that statements like Heraskevych's could cause “chaos.”
The Times reports that Heraskevych met with the IOC's president Kirsty Coventry Thursday morning but would not compromise on wearing the helmet. “It's not about the messaging,” Coventry said at a news conference. “It's literally about the rules and the regulations. In this case, the field of play, we have to be able to keep a safe environment for everyone, and sadly, that means no messaging is allowed.”
The committee had suggested that he could wear it during trial runs and after competitions in front of media. He reportedly declined.
“I don't believe we violated the rules,” Heraskevych told reporters, according to the Times. “I also want to thank her for her kind words in the meeting, but as I told her, this situation plays along with Russian propaganda and doesn't look good. I made a great proposal this morning to wear this helmet and show solidarity with Ukraine — I believe it's a great way (for the IOC) to show it has solidarity with Ukraine — and to remove all the scandal.”
The Times reports that earlier this week when commenting on how the IOC allows athletes to voice protest for fallen countrymen with black armbands, Heraskevych said he “truly believes that the IOC doesn't have enough armbands to honor all the athletes who have fallen in this war.”
“I thank our athlete for his clear stance,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media. “His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honor and remembrance. It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rule has been broken.”
Last month, the Times reported that close to 600,000 Ukrainian troops were killed or have gone missing since Russian invaded Ukraine in 2022. Nearly 1.2 million Russian troops have died or gone missing. The paper, which cited the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that Russia is believed to undercount its casualties while Ukraine doesn't disclose numbers officially. The numbers come from British and US estimates.
