Winter Olympics: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemns IOC ban of Vladyslav Heraskevych after helmet controversy

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned the IOC's decision to ban Vladyslav Heraskevych from competing in skeleton at the 2026 Winter Olympics, calling the decision 'morally appalling'.

Heraskevych had planned to compete in skeleton wearing a commemorative helmet showing pictures of fellow Ukrainian athletes killed during the war with Russia, but was found in violation of IOC rules and banned from competing.

Zelenskyy publicly denounced the decision as 'morally appalling' in a reply to Piers Morgan on X, also stating in his own post that the IOC "should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors."

Why was the helmet banned by the IOC?

The IOC initially claimed that Heraskevych was in violation of rule 50 - which states that "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites" - but have now cited rule 40.2 of the Olympic charter as just grounds for the disqualification.

The rule cited states that "all competitors, team officials or other team personnel in the Olympic Games shall enjoy freedom of expression in keeping with the Olympic values and the fundamental principles of Olympism, and in accordance with the guidelines determined by the IOC Executive Board".

The Olympic athlete expression guidelines state that athletes can state their views before or after competition, but not during the competition itself, medal ceremonies and the Olympic village.

The decision followed in-person discussions between Heraskevych and IOC president Kirsty Coventry in which an agreement could not be reached, with Coventry reportedly tearful as she exited the meeting.

"We're not making a judgement on whether the message is political or not political," Coventry said after the decision.

"That's how the athletes back in 2020, 2021, came up with saying we should not allow any messaging on the field of play, on the podium and in the Olympic village.

"But they wanted other space - the mixed zone, talking to the press, press conferences, as soon as you come off the field of play, that's there, he can do that. It's just the field of play."

It was later announced that Heraskevych's accreditation would not be withdrawn after Coventry intervened, which means he can continue to be at the Games despite not being able to compete.

Olympic ban 'a terrible mistake', says Ukrainian athlete

Heraskevych called the ban a 'terrible mistake' after the decision was confirmed with only an hour to go before the competition started.

"In Ukraine now, we also have a lot of tears and I don't want to downsize her feelings, but I believe that we should be controlled by the rules and I believe that we didn't violate it.

"I want to also thank her for kind words, what she told me in this meeting. But as I told her, this situation again plays along with Russian propaganda, and it does not look good.

"Because of this scandal, now all you [the media] are here, you're not watching the race, and I believe it's a terrible mistake made by the IOC."

"Especially when we had already on these Olympic Games other cases, when others in almost equal situations were treated differently and didn't face any sanctions."

Heraskevych appeals to CAS to reverse ban

The Ukrainian has launched an urgent appeal to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport), who can hold ad-hoc committees during the Winter Olympics.

With the first two runs of the event having taken place after Heraskevych was disqualified, and with the final two heats on Friday evening, he has requested either reinstatement or a supervised run to keep him in the competition pending a final decision by CAS, the body said.

"Mr Heraskevych argues that the exclusion is disproportionate, unsupported by any technical or safety violation and causes irreparable sporting harm to him," a CAS statement read.

His appeal will be heard immediately, although it's unclear when CAS could reach a decision on the matter.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Winter Olympics: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemns IOC ban of Vladyslav Heraskevych after helmet controversy