Ukraine skeleton racer Heraskevych says IOC has banned helmet showing athletes killed in war

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy – Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych said on Feb 9 a helmet he has used in training at the Milano Cortina Games with images of compatriots killed during the war in Ukraine cannot be used in Olympic competition after being told by the International Olympic Council (IOC) that it violates a rule on political statements.

The helmet, which depicts several athletes killed in the war – some of whom were Heraskevych’s friends, will now likely have to be shelved following a visit from an IOC representative.

Heraskevych, who is his country’s flag bearer at the Games, said Toshio Tsurunaga, the IOC representative in charge of communications between athletes, national Olympic committees and the IOC, had gone to the athletes’ village to inform him.

“He said it’s because of Rule 50,” Heraskevych told Reuters. Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”.

The decision to wear the helmet in Milan earned praise from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Writing on Telegram, Mr Zelensky thanked Heraskevych “for reminding the world of the price of our struggle”. 

“This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or called a ‘political act at a sporting event’. It is a reminder to the whole world of what modern Russia is,” Mr Zelensky said.   

“And it is precisely this that reminds everyone of the global role of sports and the historic mission of the Olympic movement – it’s all about peace and for the sake of life. Ukraine remains faithful to this. Russia proves otherwise.”

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Earlier on Feb 9, the IOC said it had not received any official request from the Ukrainian Olympic Committee to use the helmet in competition, which starts on Feb 12.

“To date, the IOC has not received any request from the NOC (National Olympic Committee) for the athlete to wear the helmet in the competition,” an IOC spokesperson said.

“Once a submission is made, the IOC will look at the request.”

Heraskevych told Reuters the helmet depicted teenage weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ischenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, actor and athlete Ivan Kononenko, diver and coach Mykyta Kozubenko, shooter Oleksiy Habarov and dancer Daria Kurdel.

Heraskevych, who held up a “No War in Ukraine” sign at the Beijing 2022 Olympics days before Russia’s invasion, had said he intended to respect Olympic rules prohibiting political demonstrations at venues while still ensuring Ukraine’s plight remained visible during the Games.

Sport and politics

Following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus were largely barred from international sport but the IOC has since backed their gradual return under strict conditions.

Moscow and Minsk say sport should remain separate from international conflicts.

There have been a number of incidents over the years where athletes have protested on the field of play or on the podium.

The most famous case dates back to the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City when US sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists during the 200m medal ceremony to protest about racial injustice in the US.

That led to their expulsion from the Games, although Smith kept his gold medal and Carlos his bronze.

More recently, at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Afghan breakdancer Manizha Talash, a member of the refugee Olympic team,

was disqualified after wearing a cape with the slogan

“Free Afghan Women” during a pre-qualifying competition.

However, there have also been cases where athletes and teams escaped punishment when their action was not deemed political.

Australia's women's football team unfurled a flag of the first peoples of Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but, while it was not one of the recognised flags of participating nations at the Games, the team were not sanctioned.

Two Chinese cycling medallists who wore badges featuring the head of their country's former leader Mao Zedong on the Tokyo Olympics podium escaped with a warning. REUTERS