Ukraine’s Vladislav Heraskevich: Will His Memorial Helmet Be Allowed at the 2026 Winter Olympics?

The Ukrainian Olympic Committee sought approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its skeleton athlete to use a ‘memorial helmet,’ but the IOC announced it would only permit the wearing of a ‘mourning armband.’

On February 10, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee issued a statement requesting the IOC’s approval for Vladislav Heraskevich to use his ‘memorial helmet’ during the skeleton event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

On February 9, Heraskevich practiced at the Cortina Sliding Center in Italy wearing a helmet adorned with images of Ukrainian athletes who lost their lives in the conflict with Russia.

In an interview with Reuters, Heraskevich explained, “Some of those depicted on the helmet were my friends. I wanted to keep the focus on the war through the Olympics.”

The helmet features the faces of several fallen athletes, including teenage weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ishchenko, and ice hockey player Oleksii Rohinov.

While respecting Olympic regulations that prohibit political demonstrations inside competition venues, Heraskevich has expressed his commitment to raising awareness about Ukraine’s ongoing crisis during the Games.

However, the IOC rejected this gesture. They determined that Heraskevich’s helmet violated Article 50, Section 2 of the Olympic Charter, which states, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious, or racial propaganda is permitted in Olympic venues, facilities, or other areas.”

In response, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee argued that the helmet fully complies with safety regulations and does not contain any advertisements, political slogans, or discriminatory elements that violate IOC rules. They added that it had also met the established criteria during official training.

The IOC proposed a compromise in response to the Ukrainian Olympic Committee’s request. They announced that while they would not allow Heraskevich to use the helmet honoring athletes who died in the conflict with Russia, they would permit him to wear a mourning armband during the competition.

The IOC further explained that this decision represents a compromise, noting that while there have been instances of prohibiting armbands in the past, an exception has been made in Heraskevich’s case.