The International Olympic Committee has banned Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from wearing a helmet with images of athletes who died as a result of Russian aggression during training and competitions.
Vladyslav Heraskevych announced this on his Facebook page.
The athlete noted that IOC representative Toshio Tsuruaga banned him from using this helmet during competitions and official training at the Olympics in Italy.
“Yesterday, an Italian snowboarder competed with a Russian flag on his helmet, which is prohibited by the IOC — there was no reaction to this. But we received a strict ban on a helmet with the names of deceased Ukrainian athletes, including Olympians,” Geraskevich said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the situation, thanking the Ukrainian athlete for reminding the world of the price Ukrainians are paying in their struggle against Russia.
“On his helmet are portraits of our athletes who were killed by Russia. Figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, who died in the battles near Bakhmut, 19-year-old biathlete Yevhen Malyshev, who was killed by the occupiers near Kharkiv, and other athletes who lost their lives in the Russian war. This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or called a ‘political action at sporting events’. It is a reminder to the whole world of what modern Russia is like,” Zelensky emphasized.
Heraskevych also said that he is preparing an official request to the IOC, in which he will defend the right to compete in the Olympics wearing this helmet.
“I really hope that this was only the position of this representative, and not of the entire International Olympic Committee,” he said.