{"id":2265,"date":"2026-02-13T00:25:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T00:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=2265"},"modified":"2026-02-13T00:25:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T00:25:13","slug":"ukrainian-olympian-banned-from-competing-over-helmet-honouring-war-dead-world-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=2265","title":{"rendered":"Ukrainian Olympian banned from competing over helmet honouring war dead | World News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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A Ukrainian skeleton racer has been banned from competing at the Winter Olympics after he insisted on wearing a helmet depicting athletes killed since Russia’s invasion.<\/p>\n

Vladyslav Heraskevych, 27, told reporters he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.<\/p>\n

“It’s hard to say or put into words. It’s emptiness,” he said in response to the ban. “It really looks like discrimination because many athletes already were expressing themselves,” he added.<\/p>\n

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had pleaded with Heraskevych \u200cto adhere to guidelines and avoid potential disqualification from the Games<\/a><\/strong> and the men’s skeleton race on Thursday.<\/p>\n

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It argued his “helmet of remembrance”, depicting 24 images of dead compatriots, violated rules which prevent political statements while athletes are competing.<\/p>\n

The IOC had suggested compromises, including wearing a black armband or showing the helmet before and after racing.<\/p>\n

But the athlete, whose performance had put him within reach of a medal in Italy, remained defiant after a \u200bmeeting between the two sides on Wednesday failed to secure an agreement.<\/p>\n

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