Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych has accused the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of “betrayal” after it banned him from wearing a helmet featuring pictures of athletes and friends killed during the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine.
Ukraine appealed the ban on the grounds that Heraskevych should be permitted to wear a commemorative helmet depicting weightlifter Alina Peregudova, boxer Pavlo Ishchenko and hockey player Oleksiy Loginov.
The IOC rejected the appeal, citing a violation of its rules on political expression.
Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said the governing body would allow Heraskevych to wear a black armband while competing.
“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,” Adams said during a press conference.
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“After the meeting, we also have reiterated that we will make an exception to the guidelines to allow him to wear a black armband during competition to make that commemoration.”
This is not the first time Heraskevych has made a statement on the sporting world’s most prestigious stage.
While competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, he held up a sign reading, “No War in Ukraine.”
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, following the helmet ban, he shared a photograph from that moment, writing, “Unfortunately, over these years this call for peace has only become even more relevant.”
“Also over these 4 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.”
He said the helmet “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. I hope for a fair final decision from the IOC,” he concluded.
In a separate video, he criticized the IOC for inconsistent enforcement of its rules against Ukrainians and for “betraying” the athletes pictured on his helmet by not allowing them to be honoured.
He referenced other incidents throughout Olympic history when athletes were allowed to honour the death of loved ones without punishment, including German weightlifter Matthias Steiner, who, on the podium after winning gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, held a photo of his late wife, who had died in a car accident more than a year prior.
“Despite precedents in modern times and in the past when the IOC allowed such tributes, this time they decided to set special rules just for Ukraine,” Heraskevych wrote.
— With files from Global News’ Adriana Fallico
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