President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the Ukrainian skeleton player Vladislav Geraskevich, who was disqualified at the 2026 Olympics, the Order of Freedom.
This is stated in decree No. 119/2026, informs the portal PromPolitInform.
“To award the Order of Freedom to Geraskevich Vladislav Mikhailovich – a member of the national Olympic team of Ukraine, a skeleton player,” the decree says.
The document states that the Ukrainian athlete received such an award for selfless service to the Ukrainian people, civil courage and patriotism in upholding the ideals of freedom and democratic values.
Scandal with Geraskevich
Recall that Vladislav Geraskevich came to the 2026 Olympics with a “helmet of memory,” which contained photographs of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who died as a result of the Russian full-scale invasion.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarded this gesture as political propaganda and a violation of Article 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits any political or religious appeals in sports arenas.
The decision to disqualify was made on the morning of February 12 immediately before the first race.
On the eve and on the day of the competition, the IOC leadership tried to find a compromise: the athlete was offered to seal the image on the helmet, wear a black armband instead of it, or show the helmet only after the finish in the mixed press area.
However, Geraskevich refused these conditions, stressing that honoring the memory of the dead is not political propaganda, and the helmet itself is made according to individual parameters, and replacing it before the start is impossible without loss of speed.
Фото – Getty Images
