The Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has accused the International Olympic Committee of “betrayal” after it banned his racing helmet, which showed images of athletes and his friends that were killed following Russia’s invasion, from the Winter Olympics.
On Tuesday, Ukraine launched an appeal against the decision, arguing that Heraskevych should be allowed to use his “helmet of memory’, showing the weightlifter Alina Peregudova, boxer Pavlo Ishchenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov at the Winter Olympics.
However the appeal was quickly rejected by the IOC, which said it violated its rules regarding political expression under Rule 50.2 of its Olympic charter. But the IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said that they would make an exception by allowing Heraskevych to wear a black armband in competition.
“There was an informal meeting last night with Mr Heraskevych, his coach, and the delegation, and we reiterated our understanding of the athlete’s wish to pay tribute to his fellow Ukrainian athletes, which he’s done during training and on social media,” said Adams.
“After the meeting, we also have reiterated that we will make an exception to the guidelines to allow him to wear a black arm band during competition to make that commemoration,” he added.
“What we’ve tried to do is to address his desires with compassion and understanding. We will not stop him expressing himself in press conferences, in the mixed zone and elsewhere. And we feel that this is a good compromise.”
But in messages posted to social media late on Tuesday and on Wednesday, Heraskevych made clear his frustration with the IOC’s stance.
“A decision that simply breaks my heart,” he wrote. “The feeling that the IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, not allowing them to be honoured on the sports arena where these athletes will never be able to step again.”
Heraskevych, Ukraine’s first skeleton athlete, also posted a picture of him holding up a “No War in Ukraine” sign at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, days before Russia’s 2022 invasion of the country.
And he also questioned why the IOC had cleared 13 athletes from Russia to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) in Milano-Cortina.
“Unfortunately, over these years this call for peace has only become even more relevant,” he said. “Also over these four years, the IOC has changed dramatically. Back then, in that action, they saw a call for peace and did not apply any sanctions against me.
“Now, at the Olympics, we have already seen a large number of Russian flags in the stands, on the helmet of one of the athletes – and for the IOC, this is not a violation.
“Yet a violation was found in the ‘helmet of memory’, which pays tribute to members of the Ukrainian sports family who have been killed since the last Olympic Games were held. The truth is on our side.”
