Vladyslav Heraskevych

Vladyslav Heraskevych is a Ukrainian skeleton racer. He is currently newsworthy due to his disqualification from the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) disqualified Heraskevych for wearing a helmet that depicted Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia. The IOC cited the Games' ban on political speech as the reason for the disqualification, stating that the helmet violated this rule. Heraskevych intended the helmet as a tribute to those athletes. He was reportedly offered the option of wearing a black armband instead. This incident highlights the ongoing tensions and sensitivities surrounding the war in Ukraine and the IOC's regulations regarding political expression during the Olympic Games.