Who Is Vladyslav Heraskevych? The Ukrainian Skeleton Racer Disqualified for Helmet Honouring Killed Athletes

He was supposed to race for a medal. Instead, Vladyslav Heraskevych left the 2026 Winter Olympics with 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 since Russia's 2022 invasion. He had served as Ukraine's flag bearer at the Milan-Cortina opening ceremony just days earlier.

A Physics Student Who Made History

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 Helmet That Started It All

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.

He said no.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry, herself an Olympic swimming champion, met Heraskevych hours before his race. She left in tears.

'No one, especially me, is disagreeing with the messaging,' Coventry told reporters. 'It's a powerful message of remembrance. But we have to keep a safe environment for everyone, and sadly that means no messaging is allowed.'

Double Standards?

Heraskevych pushed back. He pointed to American figure skater Maxim Naumov, who was allowed to display a photo of his parents, killed in a plane crash, in the kiss-and-cry area. He also cited Israeli skeleton racer Jared Firestone, who wore a kippah at the opening ceremony bearing the names of 11 Israelis killed at the 1972 Munich Games.

'A competitor literally placed the memory of the dead on his head to honour them,' Heraskevych wrote. 'I frankly do not understand how these two cases are fundamentally different.'

His disqualification set off a wave of support. Two-time Olympic fencing champion Olga Kharlan backed him publicly. Boxing heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk called the helmet 'a tribute, not a rule violation.' Former boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko said he now feels 'shame' when he looks at his Olympic medal.

Monobank CEO Oleh Horokhovskyi announced a 1 million Ukrainian hryvnia or $23,000 (£18,600) reward for Heraskevych.

Zelensky Steps In

President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded Heraskevych the Order of Freedom the same day he was banned.

Heraskevych has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. About a dozen Russian athletes, meanwhile, continue competing under neutral status.

'They were killed, but their voice is so loud that the IOC is afraid of them,' Heraskevych said of his fallen countrymen.

He came to Italy chasing a medal. He left with something that, to him, mattered more.