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02/12 02:31 CST Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych out of Winter Olympics over
banned helmet honoring war dead
Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych out of Winter Olympics over banned helmet
honoring war dead
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) --- Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav
Heraskevych is out of the Milan Cortina Games after refusing a last-minute plea
from the International Olympic Committee to use a helmet other than the one
that honors athletes killed in the war with Russia.
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry was waiting for
Heraskevych at the top of the track when he arrived around 8:15 a.m. Thursday,
or roughly 75 minutes before the start of the men's skeleton race.
They went into a private area and spoke briefly, and Coventry was unable to
change Heraskevych's mind. He was holding the decision from the International
Bobsled and Skeleton Federation when he briefly addressed reporters and said he
would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
"It's hard to say or put into words. It's emptiness," he said.
Coventry spoke with reporters after the meeting, tears rolling down her face as
she spoke.
"It's a message of memory and no one is disagreeing with that," Coventry said.
The IOC added that it made its decision "with regret."
"Despite multiple exchanges and in-person meetings between the IOC and Mr.
Heraskevych, the last one this morning with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he
did not consider any form of compromise," the IOC said in a statement. "The IOC
was very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete. 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."
Heraskevych came to the Olympics with a customized helmet showing the faces of
more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who were killed during the war, a
conflict that started shortly after the 2022 Beijing Games ended.
The IOC said Monday night that the helmet wouldn't be allowed in competition,
citing a rule against making political statements on the Olympic field of play.
Heraskevych wore the helmet for training Tuesday and Wednesday anyway, knowing
the IOC could ultimately keep him from the Olympic race.
"The helmet does not violate any IOC rules," Heraskevych said.
The IOC had sided with Heraskevych before. When he displayed a "No war in
Ukraine" sign after his fourth and final run at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the
IOC said he was simply calling for peace and did not find him in violation of
the Olympic charter.
"We want him to compete. We really, really want him to have his moment," IOC
spokesman Mark Adams said Wednesday. "That's very, very important. We want all
athletes to have their moment and that's the point. We want all our athletes to
have a fair and level playing field."
The first two runs of the race were Thursday, with the final two runs on Friday
night. Heraskevych was a legitimate medal hopeful.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
