Ukrainian Skeleton Racer Vladyslav Heraskevych Loses Olympic Appeal

Variety

by Naman Ramachandran

February 14, 2026

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Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych faced a significant setback when his appeal against his disqualification from the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The ruling upheld the decision to bar him from competing due to a helmet he intended to wear, which honored victims of Russia’s war. CAS emphasized that Olympic neutrality rules "reasonably balance" athletes' freedom of expression with the need for political neutrality at the Games. Heraskevych had planned to wear the helmet as a "tribute to memory," featuring images of Ukrainian athletes and children killed during the conflict. He maintained it was a remembrance gesture rather than a political statement. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) proposed allowing him to display the helmet before and after the race, along with wearing a black armband during competition. However, Heraskevych declined this compromise, leading to his disqualification by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation after he continued wearing the helmet in training. Despite CAS upholding his ban, Olympic officials restored Heraskevych’s accreditation, permitting him to attend the Games without competing. The case sparked strong reactions globally, with Ukraine's luge team showing solidarity during competition and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praising Heraskevych post-ruling. This incident reignited debates over the IOC's neutrality rules, highlighting the growing intersection of global conflicts and athletes' efforts to use the Olympic stage for humanitarian and political advocacy. This story matters as it underscores the complexities of balancing athlete expression with Olympic neutrality, a topic of increasing relevance in today’s politically charged world. For entertainment and sports enthusiasts, it offers insight into how global conflicts influence athletic participation and expression at international events like the Olympics.

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Originally published on Variety on 2/14/2026