He was supposed to race for a medal. Instead, Vladyslav Heraskevych left the2026 Winter Olympicswith something else:Ukraine's highest civilian honour.
The 27-year-old skeleton racer from Kyiv was barred from competition on 12 February after refusing to remove his 'helmet of remembrance'. The helmet displayed portraits of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes killed sinceRussia's 2022 invasion. He had served as Ukraine's flag bearer at the Milan-Cortina opening ceremony just days earlier.
Це ціна нашої гідності.This is price of our dignity.pic.twitter.com/00h3hlZs6i
Heraskevych is Ukraine's first-ever skeleton racer. His father, Mykhailo, trained him from the start and now serves as head coach of the national team. A physics graduate from Taras Shevchenko National University, the younger Heraskevych finished fourth at the 2025 World Championships. He came to Italy as a legitimate medal threat.
But this wasn't his first brush with Olympic controversy.
At the Beijing 2022 Games, he held up a sign reading 'No War in Ukraine' after his final run. Russia invaded days later. Back then, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cleared him, calling it a 'general call for peace.'
Four years on, the IOC saw things differently.
The memorial featured faces of fallen athletes, including figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, Heraskevych's teammate at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games. Also pictured: weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ischenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, and dancer Daria Kurdel.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said that over 660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have died since the invasion began. More than 800 sports facilities have been destroyed.
The IOC told Heraskevych his helmet violated Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which bans political statements during competition. They offered a compromise: wear a plain black armband on the track, then show the helmet to reporters afterwards.
Source: International Business Times UK
