Ukrainian Athlete Protests IOC Ban on Memorial Helmet Commemorating War Victims

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned the helmet of Vladyslav Heraskevych, a 26-year-old Ukrainian national skeleton athlete who was set to carry the Ukrainian flag at the Milan-Cortina 2026 opening ceremony. The helmet featured images of athlete friends who died during the war. Heraskevych admitted feeling devastated by the IOC's verbal order, delivered by IOC member Toshiaki Tsuruga, without a written directive. 'The IOC has forbidden me from using the helmet during training and competitions. This decision breaks my heart. The IOC is betraying athletes who are part of the Olympic movement and not allowing them to be honored in sports arenas where they can no longer step,' he told Reuters. He chose images of Elina Perehudova (a rising weightlifter), Pavlo Ishchenko (a boxer), Oleksiy Loginov (an ice hockey player), and other friends who were lost. Previously, Heraskevych had held a 'No War in Ukraine' sign during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, before Russia's attack began. The IOC cited Rule 50.2, which prohibits political protests or propaganda in Olympic spaces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted Heraskevych's image on Twitter, thanking him for 'reminding the world about the cost of our struggle'.