Vladyslav Heraskevych

Vladyslav Heraskevych is a Ukrainian skeleton racer. He is currently newsworthy due to his disqualification from the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned him because his helmet depicted images of Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia, deeming it a violation of the Games' ban on political expression. Heraskevych appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but his appeal was dismissed. He argues that the Olympics are acting as propaganda for Russia, especially given the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes under their national flags despite the ongoing conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned the IOC's decision, stating that Heraskevych broke no rules. The situation highlights the tension between the IOC's neutrality policy and athletes' desire to express solidarity and remembrance in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war.