A Ukrainian skeleton competitor has placed himself at risk of Olympic sanctions after adorning his helmet with portraits of individuals killed during Russia’s ongoing invasion of his homeland.
Vladyslav Heraskevych made the striking gesture whilst racing down the track at the Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics earlier today.
The athlete had previously pledged to utilise the Games as a platform for maintaining international focus on the conflict.
His actions potentially breach Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits demonstrations and political propaganda at any Olympic venue or site.
Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych wore a helmet with portraits of individuals killed during Russia’s ongoing invasion
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REUTERS
The International Olympic Committee has since made contact with Ukrainian officials regarding the matter.
Heraskevych, who carried his nation’s flag at the opening ceremony, disclosed that several of those pictured were personal acquaintances.
“Some of them were my friends,” he told Reuters of the portraits adorning his helmet.
The athlete identified a number of fellow sportspeople who had lost their lives, including figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, weightlifter Alina Peregudova, strongman Pavlo Ishchenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov and biathlete Yevhen Malyshev.
Vladyslav Heraskevych is at risk of IOC punishment after his protest
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REUTERS
He described these fallen competitors as international team-mates, underscoring the deeply personal nature of his demonstration on the world’s most prominent sporting stage.
The IOC confirmed it had been in touch with Ukraine’s Olympic Committee concerning the helmet display.
“It’s still being processed,” Heraskevych stated regarding the ongoing review.
This is not the athlete’s first act of protest at an Olympic Games.
During the Beijing Winter Olympics, he held aloft a sign reading “No War in Ukraine” mere days before Russian forces crossed the border in February 2022.
Whilst the Olympic Charter expressly forbids demonstrations at official venues, it does permit athletes to voice opinions outside Games time and locations, with social media platforms also exempt from such restrictions.
Figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, weightlifter Alina Peregudova, strongman Pavlo Ishchenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov and biathlete Yevhen Malyshev are among those who have been killed during the war
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REUTERS
Despite sporting sanctions, competitors from Russia and Belarus have gradually returned to international events, with the IOC permitting 13 Russian athletes to participate in Italy under the Individual Neutral Athletes designation.
Heraskevych has questioned the legitimacy of such neutrality claims.
“For me it’s questionable how you can consider an athlete neutral if he is fully financed by the government, if he is somehow attached to the federation, national federation, which is also part of propaganda,” he remarked prior to the Games.
The athlete advocacy group Global Athlete issued an open letter on Monday urging the IOC to strengthen rather than relax sanctions against Russia, arguing that Moscow’s aggression has only intensified since 2022.
