Vladyslav Heraskevych disqualified from Winter Olympics 2026 over helmet controversy

Ukrainian skeleton slider Vladyslav Heraskevych has been disqualified from Winter Olympics 2025 over helmet controversy.

The disqualification follows as Heraskevych decided to participate in Winter Games by wearing his “helmet of remembrance” to honour the athletes killed since Russia’s invasion.

According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the 27-year-old not only violated athlete expression guidelines but also flouted a personal appeal from the IOC head.

The skeleton racer was barred and stripped of his accreditation before the competition was due to start.

"I am disqualified from the race. I will not get my Olympic moment. They were killed, but their voices are so loud that the IOC is afraid of them,” said Heraskevych.

However, the disqualification did not come without warning or effort as IOC President Kristy Coventry tried to break the impasse, but Ukrainian stood firm to his decision.

The International Olympic Committee issued a statement, “Having been given one final opportunity, skeleton pilot Vladylsav Heraskevych from Ukraine will not be able to start his race at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games this morning.”

“The decision followed his refusal to comply with the IOC’s Guidelines on Athlete Expression….The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has therefore decided with regret to withdraw his accreditation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games,” the statement read.

According to Heraskevych’s team, they would appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Ukraine’s Olympic Committee also announced plans of protesting against the unjustified decision, but did not show any signs of boycotting the Games.