Winter Olympics: Ukrainian athlete disqualified over helmet

Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych has been disqualified from the Winter Olympics following a meeting with the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding his helmet, which honors victims of the Russian invasion. The helmet features images of deceased Ukrainian sportsmen and women, and Heraskevych has expressed his belief that he did not violate any rules by wearing it. He stated, "I don't believe we violated the rules," emphasizing his commitment to using the helmet during his training and competition. The IOC has rejected Ukraine's request to allow Heraskevych to wear the memorial helmet at the Milan-Cortina Games. Despite this ban, Heraskevych has vowed to defy the IOC's decision, asserting that he intends to wear the helmet on race day. He has been using the helmet throughout his training and plans to continue doing so, stating, "I used it in all trainings... I used it today, I will use it tomorrow, and I will use it on race day." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has defended Heraskevych's right to wear the helmet, which serves as a tribute to those who have lost their lives due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. The IOC has allowed Ukrainian athletes to wear black armbands at the Olympics to honor the war dead, but the specific helmet worn by Heraskevych has been deemed unacceptable by Olympic officials.