Ukrainian Olympian Disqualified Over Helmet Honoring War Dead

Vladyslav Heraskevych, a Ukrainian skeleton racer at the Winter Games in Italy, was barred from competing on Thursday after saying he would wear a helmet that commemorated people killed in the war with Russia. Olympic officials told him the helmet violated the Games’ prohibition on political speech, and the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation ruled the helmet was not compliant with the rules.

He had been allowed to wear the helmet during training and said it depicted people killed during Russia’s war with Ukraine, including some athletes and friends. Mark Adams, a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee, said the Games needed to be separated from interference so athletes could concentrate on their performances and that Heraskevych could wear a black armband to memorialize the dead if he chose.

Before the competition, Heraskevych wrote on social media that he was convinced he had not violated any I.O.C. rules and had the right to wear the helmet.

Italy

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