MILAN/CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — The International Olympic Committee pleaded on Wednesday with skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych to compete without his banned helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed since Russia’s invasion and avoid potential disqualification.
The athlete, however, remained defiant after a meeting between the two sides on Wednesday afternoon failed to break the impasse.
The IOC offered him the opportunity to display his “helmet of remembrance” depicting 24 images of dead compatriots before the start and after the end of Thursday’s race at the Milan Cortina Games, while also allowing him to wear a black armband while competing.
However, the 27-year-old, who again trained on Wednesday in the helmet, said he would go ahead and wear it for Thursday’s race day.
Asked after his training run if it was the helmet or nothing, Heraskevych, who has an outside chance of finishing on the podium, told reporters: “yes”.
“To be honest I was hoping we would find some common sense,” Heraskevych told Reuters after the meeting. “I registered this helmet, it’s technically good.”
Ukraine’s Olympic Committee backed their athlete, who is the team’s flagbearer for the Games and also displayed a “No War in Ukraine” sign at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, days before Russia’s invasion.
“(Heraskevych) did not agree to the proposals made by the IOC representatives and emphasized that he was ready to compete exclusively in the “memorial helmet,” the Ukrainian Olympic Committee said in a statement.
“The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and the Ukrainian national team fully support… Heraskevych’s position and respect his conscious and principled choice.”
The IOC banned the helmet on Tuesday for any competition, saying it violated rules on political statements.
Athletes can freely express themselves in press conferences, social media and interviews during the Games but they cannot make any political statements on the field of play or podiums, according to Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter.
“We would beg him ‘we want you to compete … We really, really want him to have his moment,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams told a press conference.
Heraskevych said even if he wanted to change a helmet he would have no time to prepare a new helmet that would fit him.
THURSDAY SHOWDOWN
With dozens of conflicts around the world it was impossible to allow political statements in venues, Adams added.
“For us and the athletes the field of play is sacrosanct. These people have dedicated their whole lives for this moment,” he said, adding that the IOC would look for ways to convince the Ukrainian, including having other athletes talk to him.
All competitors on Thursday will have to go through an equipment check prior to entering the ice canal for the competition. If Heraskevych insists on taking the helmet, the IOC would potentially have to remove him from the competition.
“There are rules and regulations and they will ultimately be enforced. In the end it will be an IOC matter,” Adams said.
“It is in everybody’s interest for him to compete. I don’t say we have a ready solution on this but it is better to talk to people to win the day.”
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
