Skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has been disqualified from competing in his first race at the 2026 Olympic Games. The day before, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Heraskevych from competing in a "memory helmet" created to honor Ukrainian athletes who died as a result of russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. Vladyslav himself stated that he would compete exclusively in it. It was reported by the Suspilne media outlet.
So, the correspondent of the publication Serhii Zakharchenko said on the air of the Olympic studio that Heraskevych received the IBSF's decision on disqualification.
"There is a decision of the jury of the skeleton competitions at the Olympic Games in the case of Vladyslav Heraskevych on the violation of the Olympic rules regarding the expression of athletes' [position]. That he would wear a helmet, which, according to the IOC rules, violates Article 50: allegedly violates some political calls. Vladyslav Heraskevych was removed from the start list," Zakharchenko said.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych faced difficulties because of his special helmet at the 2026 Olympic Games. The helmet depicts the dead Ukrainian athletes who became victims of the full-scale invasion of the aggressor country russia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported Olympian Heraskevych, who was banned from competing at the Winter Olympics in a commemorative helmet.
It was also reported, that skier Dmytro Shepiuk, after his finish in the super-G event, showed on camera a glove with a sticker with a message in support of Vladyslav Heraskevych.
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