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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lashed out at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday after an athlete was disqualified for wearing a helmet honoring victims of the war with Russia.
The IOC said Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych’s decision to continue wearing the helmet that paid tribute to more than 20 athletes and coaches who died in the war violated the organization’s policy of not making political statements on the field of play.
The ruling sparked a massive reaction among Ukrainian athletes.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, February 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
“Sport should not mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify the Ukrainian runner Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise. It is certainly not about the principles of Olympism, which are based on justice and support for peace.
“I thank our athlete for his clear stance. His helmet, with portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is a matter of honor and remembrance. It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rules have been broken.”
Zelenskyy blamed Russia for violating “Olympic principles” with its continued wars against neighboring nations, including his own.
Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete under a neutral flag at the Olympic Games.
Vladyslav Heraskevych of Ukraine, with his helmet, showing photographs of people killed in the war with Russia. Heraskevych was ruled out of the Men’s Skeleton event by the International Olympic Committee just over an hour before the competition began, pictured at the Cortina Sliding Center on the sixth day of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Italy, February 12, 2026. (Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)
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“And now, in 2026, despite repeated calls for a ceasefire during the Winter Olympics, Russia shows complete disregard, increasing missile and drone attacks against our energy infrastructure and our people,” Zelenskyy continued.
“660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russia since the full-scale invasion began. Hundreds of our athletes will never again be able to participate in the Olympic Games or any other international competition. And yet, 13 Russians are currently in Italy competing in the Olympic Games. They compete under ‘neutral’ flags at the Games, while in real life they publicly support Russian aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of our territories. And they are the ones who deserve disqualification.
“We are proud of Vladyslav and what he did. Courage is worth more than any medal.”
Heraskevych met with IOC President Kirsty Coventry before competing in the first official skeleton race. He said they couldn’t “find common ground.”
Heraskevych received a message from the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF), saying the helmet was “inconsistent with the Olympic Charter and Guidelines on Athlete Expression.” The IOC offered him concessions, including the use of a black armband or the ability to display the helmet off the ice.
“I deeply believe that the IBSF and the IOC understand that I am not breaking any rules,” Heraskevych said. “Also, I would say it’s painful that it really looks like discrimination because a lot of athletes were already speaking out… They didn’t face the same things. So all of a sudden, only the Ukrainian athlete in these Olympics will be disqualified because of the helmet.”
Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych reaches the finish line during a men’s skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The IOC expressed “regret” for the decision.
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“As you have all seen in recent days, we have allowed Vladyslav to wear his helmet in training,” said Coventry, who at times shed tears while speaking to reporters. “No one, no one, especially me, disagrees with the message. The message is powerful. It’s a message of remembrance. It’s a message of memory and no one disagrees with that. The challenge we faced is that we wanted to ask or find a solution just for the playing field.”
