The Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladylsav Heraskevych he will not be able to start the competition for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games this morning “following his refusal to comply with the Guidelines on the visual expression of athletes”. The decision was made by the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) as the helmet “does not comply with the regulations”. The International Olympic Committee has therefore decided “with regret” to withdraw its accreditation for Milano Cortina 2026.
Heraskevych
“Sport does not mean indifference and the Olympic movement should contribute to stopping wars, not pandering to the aggressor. Unfortunately, the International Olympic Committee’s decision to disqualify the Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych speaks of something else. This is certainly not in line with the basic principles of the Olympics which are based on justice and support for peace.” Ukrainian President Zelensky declared this on Telegram. Zelenskyy also attacks X and judges the IOC’s decision to be “morally appalling”. Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi says the decision to disqualify Heraskevych is more harmful to the International Olympic Committee than to the athlete, who he calls a “hero”.
“Despite numerous exchanges and in-person meetings between the IOC and Mr. Heraskevych, the latest of which this morning with the CIO President Kirsty Coventry – reports the note from the Olympic Committee – they did not take into consideration any form of compromise”. The IOC “was very interested in Heraskevych competing. For this reason, he met with him to find the most respectful way to express his desire to remember his fellow athletes who lost their lives following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case lies not in the message – underlines the note – but in the way he wanted to express it”. Heraskevych, according to the Olympic Committee, “was able to display his helmet in all training tests. The IOC also offered him the opportunity to display it immediately after the match, during the transition to the mixed zone.”
Ukrainian Heraskevych disqualified
Recalling that it has set up “multi-religious centers” in the Olympic Villages, and that there is the possibility of wearing a black armband during competitions, the IOC recalls that “the Guidelines on the visual expression of athletes are the result of a global consultation conducted in 2021 with 3,500 athletes from all over the world. They have the full support of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and the Athletes’ Commissions of the International Federations and Olympic Committees Nationals”. Finally, the Committee underlines that Heraskevych “has received support in the last three editions of the Winter Olympic Games. On each occasion he has received an Olympic scholarship. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IOC also established a solidarity fund for Ukrainian sport, to support the preparation of athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games”.
“Unfortunately we couldn’t find a solution. I really wanted to see him compete today. It was a touching morning.” AND’ the comment of the president of the IOC Kirsty Coventry, to the disqualification of Vladylsav Heraskevych for wearing a non-regulation helmet. Coventry said he met him at the Sliding Center in Cortina: “I don’t think we were crying, but he is an athlete, I wasn’t talking to him in that room as President, I was talking to him as an athlete. We have rules to try to be fair, and also to allow athletes to express themselves but also to be safe.”
Heraskevych’s staff
“I believe we must continue to fight for our rights. I’ve said from day one that I don’t agree with what the IOC tells us, so we will probably file an appeal with the Tas and we will defend our rights.” He declared it Vladylsav Heraskevychthe Ukrainian skeleton athlete disqualified for refusing to change his helmet with the faces of fellow Ukrainian athletes killed in war. “Other athletes were already speaking out, and they didn’t have to deal with the same things. So, all of a sudden, only one Ukrainian athlete in these Olympics will be disqualified for this helmet, which doesn’t violate any rules.”
Heraskevych said he felt “a kind of emptiness“, and invited television stations to film the last training session “just to honor the athletes portrayed with this helmet”. “I believe – he reiterated – that we have not violated any rules. I see great inconsistencies in the decisions, in the formulation, in the IOC press conferences, I believe that the biggest problem is precisely the inconsistency. I firmly believe in the ISBF (the International Skeleton and Bobsleigh Federation) and the IOC knows that I am not breaking any rules. I certainly won’t have my moment at these Olympics, although we achieved excellent results in the training tests. I really believe that I could have been among the medalists today and tomorrow, but I won’t be able to compete,” he concluded.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA
Keep reading