Heraskevych challenges IOC ban over 'memory helmet' at 2026 Games
Vladyslav Heraskevych with his father (Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Coombs)
Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has filed a lawsuit challenging his disqualification at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The case is scheduled to be heard on the morning of Feb. 13.
Speaking at a press conference at the Ukrainian Consulate General in Milan, Heraskevych said he intends to return to competition and believes the International Olympic Committee made a mistake.
“Our goal from the very beginning, when we arrived at the Olympic Games in early February, was to compete,” Heraskevych said. “I am convinced that I have every right to participate. Our objective is to secure that opportunity alongside all other athletes. Tomorrow we will try to return to the starting line.”
“If we fail to return to competition, we will continue to fight,” he added. “I believe I must prove that I am right in this situation and that the IOC is wrong. If we do not do this now, then in my view the IOC could disqualify anyone under the current wording of the rules. Based on the explanations I received in recent days, they truly could disqualify anyone — perhaps simply because they do not like a particular athlete.”
The Ukrainian athlete has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest judicial authority in international sport, whose rulings are final.
Earlier, the IOC barred Heraskevych from competing in what he calls a “memory helmet,” stating that it “does not comply with the principles of the Olympic Charter, which require neutrality of equipment and prohibit political or other messaging during competition.”
Heraskevych later accused the IOC of double standards, pointing out that an Italian snowboarder was allowed to compete with a Russian flag displayed on his helmet, despite restrictions on the aggressor country’s symbols at the 2026 Games.
The IOC subsequently предложed that fallen athletes be honored with a black ribbon during competition. It also suggested that the “memory helmet” could be displayed before and after runs, as well as in the mixed zone during media interviews.
Heraskevych rejected those proposals and said he is prepared to compete only while wearing the “memory helmet,” which features the names of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia’s war — including children.
Earlier at the 2026 Games, Ukrainian athletes publicly supported Heraskevych with a gesture of solidarity after he set a national record.
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