Court rejects Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych's appeal to wear tribute helmet at Milan Cortina Olympics

Ukrainian skeleton jock Vladyslav Heraskevych's propulsion to legally deterioration a customized helmet arsenic helium competed successful races astatine the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics ran into possibly its astir daunting obstacle Friday.

Heraskevych took his plea to don the helmet that paid tribute to Ukrainian warfare victims to the wintertime sliding sport's highest court.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against Heraskevych’s appeal, efficaciously ending his last accidental to vie for a medal astatine this year's Games. 

Heraskevych was disqualified from a skeleton contention implicit the helmet, which displayed the faces of much than 20 Ukrainian coaches and athletes who person been killed since Russia’s penetration of Ukraine.

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Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych arrives astatine the decorativeness during a men's skeleton grooming league astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics, successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.  (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation besides concluded that Heraskevych's volition to deterioration the helmet was successful nonstop usurpation of Olympic rules. The IOC cited rules against making governmental statements connected the tract of play. 

IOC President Kirsty Coventry met with Heraskevych earlier Thursday's men's skeleton lawsuit to effort to alteration his caput astir wearing the helmet, yet to nary avail. 

"We didn't find communal crushed successful this regard," Heraskevych said.

Heraskevych’s attorney, Yevhen Pronin, reacted to the tribunal ruling successful measurement with the IOC, arguing his lawsuit did not really perpetrate misconduct.

"The tribunal sided with the IOC and upheld the determination that an jock could beryllium disqualified from the Olympic Games without existent misconduct, without a method oregon information menace and earlier the start," Pronin said.

Vladyslav Heraskevych of Ukraine during grooming wearing a helmet successful tribute to athletes who person died successful Russia's onslaught connected Ukraine Feb. 11, 2026. (Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)

CAS, the sole arbitrator proceeding the case, said it "found these limitations tenable and proportionate," particularly since Heraskevych could amusement his helmet distant from the racing surface, specified arsenic successful interrogation areas and connected societal media. Heraskevych besides wore the helmet successful grooming runs.

The entreaty was mostly moot anyway. He was disqualified from the contention little than an hr earlier its commencement connected Thursday, and immoderate CAS said connected Friday wouldn’t person changed that. 

"Looks similar this bid has left," Heraskevych said aft Friday’s hearing.

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He near Cortina d’Ampezzo’s Olympic Village connected Thursday nighttime with nary plans to return, past headed to Milan and arrived successful Munich connected Friday nighttime — helmet successful manus — for a meal with Ukrainian officials astatine a information conference. He is expected to conscionable with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this play arsenic well.

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych arrives astatine the decorativeness during a men's skeleton grooming league astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.  (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Heraskevych admitted helium was amazed by the beardown reaction. 

s"I ne'er expected it to beryllium specified a large scandal," helium said.

He besides said helium recovered his accreditation for the Games being taken away, past returned soon afterward Thursday successful what seemed similar a goodwill gesture, puzzling.

"A mockery," helium said.

CAS did hold that Heraskevych should support his accreditation.

Tributes from different athletes competing successful Milan Cortina were permitted without penalty, including American fig skater Maxim Naumov displaying a photograph of his precocious parents who were killed successful a level clang past year.

Italian snowboarder Roland Fischnaller had a tiny Russian emblem representation connected the backmost of his helmet during the Games, and Israeli skeleton jock Jared Firestone wore a kippah bearing the names of 11 athletes and coaches killed portion representing that state during the 1972 Munich Olympics.

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The IOC said those cases were not successful usurpation of immoderate rules. 

Naumov showed his photograph successful the kiss-and-cry country and not portion helium was really connected the ice. Fischnaller’s helmet was a tribute to each the past Olympic sites helium competed at, with Sochi included. And Firestone’s kippah "was covered by a beanie," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said.

The IOC offered Heraskevych a accidental to vie with a antithetic helmet and bring the tribute done the interrogation country aft his runs. He besides could person worn a achromatic armband.

"I deliberation it’s the incorrect broadside of past for the IOC," Heraskevych said.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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