In Munich, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with skeleton athlete and member of the national Olympic team Vladyslav Heraskevych and his father, Ukraine’s skeleton team coach Mykhailo Heraskevych. The Head of State thanked the athlete for his principled stance and presented him with the Order of Freedom.
“With great respect to you and, of course, to all our Olympians who supported you and your position. Medals are important for Ukraine and for you, but I believe the most important thing is who you are. I believe you are a personality. And I am sure that all the other results that are so important for you will certainly come. Ukraine will have champions and Olympians. The most important thing Ukraine has is Ukrainians. You embody such a person,” the President said.
Vladyslav Heraskevych thanked for the support and stressed that the Ukrainian people have united these days against injustice. He noted that his helmet features portraits of 22 Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia, and despite their deaths they are drawing the world’s attention to Ukraine and uniting people around it.
The athlete planned to start the skeleton competition wearing this helmet as a sign of respect and remembrance for all Ukrainian athletes who will never again be able to compete because of Russian aggression. However, a few hours before the first run, the International Olympic Committee disqualified Vladyslav Heraskevych.
“The most important thing is that we are not trying to break any rules or be barbarians. We will continue, and despite everything, we will continue to fight for our rights,” the athlete added.
Mykhailo Heraskevych also spoke about the support the action received not only from Ukrainians but also from friends of Ukraine in other countries. “Everything you did was right. And it is important how people reacted. Thank you for this,” the President emphasized.