February 12, 2026
Zelenskyy rips IOC after Ukrainian athlete gets disqualified over helmet honoring victims of Russian war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted the IOC on Thursday after one of the country's athletes was disqualified over his helmet tribute.
TL;DR
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the IOC for disqualifying skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych.
- Heraskevych wore a helmet honoring more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed in the war with Russia.
- The IOC disqualified him for violating policies against political statements on the field of play.
- Zelenskyy stated that sport should not ignore the war and that the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not aid aggressors.
- He highlighted that 660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed since the full-scale invasion.
- Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing under neutral flags, which Zelenskyy suggested should be grounds for disqualification.
- Heraskevych felt the decision was discriminatory, as other athletes had expressed themselves without facing similar consequences.
- The IOC expressed regret but maintained that the helmet's display on the field of play was the issue, not the message itself.
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