Vladyslav Heraskevych was not allowed to compete in an event he was expected to medal in

The Ukrainian Olympic athlete Vladislav Heraskevych displays the memorial helmet that resulted in his ban.

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych pushed at the limits of the International Olympic Committee's rules on freedom of expression, and the global sports body pushed back.

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych was barred from competing in the Milan/Cortina Olympics over a dispute concerning a helmet he wanted to wear in the skeleton event to honour athletes killed in the war with Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "proud" of Vladylsav Heraskevych, adding, "Having courage is worth more than any medal."

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not happy with the International Olympics Committee. A Ukrainian athlete has been barred from competing due to a "controversial" helmet. The athlete was disqualified for wearing a helmet to honor victims in the war with Russia.

A Ukrainian skeleton racer has been banned from competing at the Winter Olympics after wearing a helmet honoring athletes who have died in the Ukraine War. The International Olympics Committee (IOC) set out its reasoning in a lengthy statement this morning after Vladyslav Heraskevych had questioned whether “this is the price of our dignity” on

A Ukrainian athlete has been disqualified from the Winter Olympics over his insistence on wearing a helmet honoring people killed in his country's war with Russia

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was banned by the IOC from competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday, Feb. 12 because of his insistence on racing in a helmet depicting athletes who have been killed during Russia's invasion of his country.

As Ukrainian athletes prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics, they will seek to boost the morale of their compatriots in Ukraine amid an ongoing war and a brutal winter.

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympics in Italy for wearing a helmet that paid tribute to athletes and coaches killed in the Russia-Ukraine war, causing an emotional reaction from both him and International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry.