Zelensky awards Ukrainian athlete disqualified over 'memorial helmet' at Olympics
President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded Vladyslav Heraskevych the Order of Freedom on Feb. 12, after the skeleton racer was disqualified from the 2026 Olympics for using a custom helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia's full-scale war.
"Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors," Zelensky said. "(The IOC's decision) is certainly not about the principles of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace."
The disqualification came days after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) barred the Ukrainian skeleton racer from using a custom helmet at the Games that depicts Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia's full-scale war. Despite this, Heraskevych continued training in the helmet.
"This is price of our dignity," Heraskevych wrote on X after the IOC's annoucement of his disqualification.
Speaking to Suspilne Sport, he said that he never intended for this dispute to happen and had hoped to compete at the 2026 Olympics, but he stands by his position without regret.
"There are things far more important than any medals, and today I stood up for what I believe in," Heraskevysch added.
Earlier in the day, Heraskevych suggested ending the scandal by asking the IOC to lift the ban on his "memorial helmet," apologize for the "pressure" he faced, and donate generators to Ukrainian sports facilities amid the energy crisis caused by Russian attacks.
After the IOC ban, Heraskevych explained that his helmet is a tribute to killed Ukrainian athletes, while Ukrainian service members showed support by sharing photos with the message, "Remembrance is not a violation."
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) jury ruled that Heraskevych's helmet "was not in compliance with the rules."
The IOC said that Heraskevych met with IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Feb. 12, but the Ukrainian athlete "refused to consider any compromise."
"The essence of this case is not about the message, it is about where he wanted to express it," the statement read.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams previously said that Heraskevych's helmet depicts a "conflict," saying, "There are 130 conflicts in the world, and we can't have them all featured... in the field of play during the competition."
In response to the IOC's decision, Ukrainian officials voiced their support for Heraskevych and decried the move.
Zelensky thanked the athlete for his "clear position," adding that Russia consistently violates Olympic principles, using the Games to wage its wars, including the occupation of Crimea in 2014 and the all-out invasion in 2022.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described Heraskevych's disqualification as a blow to the IOC's reputation.
"Future generations will remember this as a moment of shame," he said. "We are proud to have Vladyslav who has not betrayed (650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed by Russia)."
Heraskevych said he does not consider his helmet a violation of IOC rules, criticizing the IOC for hypocrisy. He pointed out that Israeli skeleton racer Jared Firestone was allowed to participate in the Opening Ceremony wearing a kippah with the names of the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches killed in the terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi confirmed plans to appeal Heraskevych's disqualification.
The support for the Ukrainian athlete extended beyond government offcials. Oleh Horokhovskyi, CEO of Ukraine's largest mobile-only bank, Monobank, announced a Hr 1 million ($23,000) reward for Heraskevych.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also banned two other Ukrainians from wearing their helmets at the 2026 Games.
Kateryna Kotsar, a Ukrainian freestyle skier, said the IOC disqualified her helmet for the inscription "Be Brave like Ukrainians." Oleh Handei, a Ukrainian short track speed skater, was barred from wearing his custom helmet because it is inscribed with a line of Ukrainian poetry.
Hundreds of Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russia's all-out war, and hundreds of sports facilities have been destroyed by Russian missile and drone attacks.
While the Russian and Belarusian national teams are banned from the Olympic Games, athletes from both countries are allowed to compete in individual events under a "neutral" status. Still, many Russian athletes who compete as "neutral" participants in international competitions have ties to the Kremlin or have expressed support for the war against Ukraine.
"These are Russians who must be banned, not the commemoration of their victims. None of them are 'neutral,'" Sybiha said.
