From Cortina d’Ampezzo
(February 12, 2026) – Vladyslav Heraskevych will not compete in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games after the IBSF jury made the decision to withdraw him from the Games following his decision to, per the IBSF, “refuse to adhere to the IOC Guidelines on Athlete Expression.”
Heraskevych had been wearing a helmet commemorating Ukrainian athletes who had died during the Russian invasion of Ukraine throughout training and intended to wear the helmet as a memorial to the athletes during the Games.
The Ukrainian star wore the memorial helmet throughout training, but was told repeatedly he would not be allowed to wear it in competition. But Heraskevych insisted he should be allowed to wear it, and would have every intention to during the Games.
Per the IBSF’s Jury Decision, “The IOC and IBSF considered the intended wearing of the helmet in competition as being inconsistent with the Olympic Charter and Guidelines on Athlete Expression.”
Further, the IBSF Jury Decision stated “…the Athlete confirmed his steadfast will to wear the helmet in question also in competition, even after it was pointed out to him that he would not be admitted to the Skeleton competition under the circumstances.”
After multiple meetings between Heraskevych, the IBSF and the IOC, including IOC president Kirsty Coventry, Heraskevych refused to budge on wearing the helmet, stating that the helmet did conform to the rules as written.
A statement by the IOC on Olympics.com says, in part, “The IOC was very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete. This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case is not about the message, it is about where he wanted to express it.
Mr Heraskevych was able to display his helmet in all training runs. The IOC also offered him the option of displaying it immediately after the competition when going through the mixed zone.”
After the final decision was made, Heraskevych posted on Instagram a photo of himself sliding up the outramp with his helmet, and the caption “This is the price of our dignity”. The Instagram post can be seen below.
The full IBSF Jury Decision can be found here: LINK
The full IOC release can be found here: LINK