The International Olympic Committee has prohibited Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Geraskevich from using a helmet featuring images of athletes who died as a result of Russian aggression during competitions. The athlete announced this on his social media on the evening of February 9.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Reaction from the athlete and details of the ban
“This decision is simply heartbreaking. It feels like the IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement by not allowing us to honor them on the sports arena, where these athletes will never be able to compete again,” he commented.
According to Geraskevich, he was informed about the “critical ban” on wearing such a helmet during official training and competitions by IOC representative Toshio Tsurunaga. The skeleton athlete emphasized that at the same time, an Italian snowboarder was allowed to compete in a helmet featuring the Russian flag, raising questions about the selectivity of the organizers’ approaches.
Geraskevich stated that he, along with his team, is preparing an official request to the IOC and plans to fight for the right to compete in this helmet. The International Olympic Committee has not yet made any public comments regarding the incident.
Support from the President of Ukraine and the history of protests
President Volodymyr Zelensky supported Geraskevich’s decision to honor the memory of Ukrainian athletes who died due to Russian aggression. The skeleton athlete’s helmet features portraits of figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, who died near Bakhmut, 19-year-old biathlete Yevhen Malyshev, who was killed by the occupiers near Kharkiv, as well as other athletes whose lives were cut short by the war.
The President emphasized that the truth about the consequences of Russian aggression “cannot be uncomfortable, inappropriate, or labeled as a ‘political action at sporting events.'”
Vladislav Geraskevich has previously expressed his civic stance on the international stage. At the 2022 Olympic Games, he unfurled a banner calling for “No war in Ukraine” after his performance, and following the onset of the full-scale war, he has consistently advocated for the boycott of Russian and Belarusian athletes at all international competitions.