Ukrainian foreign ministry backs skeleton racer Heraskevych: Olympic committee has disgraced itself

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has given its full support to skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, who planned to compete at the Olympics wearing a helmet featuring images of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russian forces but has been disqualified by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Source: a statement by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha

Quote: "The IOC has banned not the Ukrainian athlete, but its own reputation. Future generations will recall this as a moment of shame.

He simply wanted to commemorate fellow athletes killed in war. There is nothing wrong with that under any rules or ethics.

The IOC intimidated, disrespected, and even lectured our athlete and other Ukrainians on how they should keep quiet about 'one of 130 conflicts in the world'.

The IOC has also systemically failed to confront the greatest abuser of international sports and the Olympic Charter – Russia."

Details: Sybiha pointed out that Russia has launched three invasions during Olympic truces over the past three decades, killed 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches, and destroyed 800 sports facilities in Ukraine.

He said it was the Russians who should be banned, not the commemoration of their victims. "None of them are 'neutral'," he added.

Background:

• Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych will not be able to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games due to his disqualification by the IOC.
• The 27-year-old athlete from Kyiv was barred from the competition after wearing a "remembrance helmet" during training sessions.

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