Ukrainian skeleton player Vladislav Geraskevich said that he was disqualified before the first race of the 2026 Olympics.
It is reported by the Public, informs the portal PromPolitInform.
The athlete himself announced the disqualification: “Today we paid a price for our dignity, I believe that I did not violate any rules.”
The correspondent of the Public said that Geraskevich received the IBSF decision on disqualification:
“There is a decision of the jury of skeleton competitions at the Olympic Games in the case of Vladislav Geraskevich about the violation of the Olympic rules on the expression by athletes [position].
That he will wear a helmet, which, according to the rules of the IOC, violates Article 50: allegedly violates some political calls. Vladislav Geraskevich was removed from the start list.”
IOC Explanation
The IOC officially confirmed the disqualification.
They explained that the decision was made after Geraskevich refused to comply with the IOC Guidelines on the self-expression of athletes. All because of the helmet, which allegedly did not meet the rules.
The IOC said that the Ukrainian skeleton player met in the morning with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, but no consensus was reached.
Vladislav Geraskevich and the scandal with the helmet at the Olympics-2026
- Recall, on February 9, the athlete first went to the official training in a helmet, on which photographs of athletes who died as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were printed in black and white.
- After that, it became known that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not allow Geraskevich to perform in this helmet, but proposed replacing his use with a black armband or ribbon without personalization.
- Geraskevich’s reaction: the athlete went to the next training session in the same helmet that the IOC banned.
Photo – from open sources
