Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych announced on social media the launch of a fundraiser to support the families of athletes killed during the Russian-Ukrainian war. The initiative will initially support the families of those honored on his helmet of memory, with the long-term goal of building a permanent support system for the families of fallen athletes
Heraskevych also stated that, together with a team of lawyers, he will continue to appeal the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to ban him from competing in a helmet featuring portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russians. He added that the international attention sparked by his refusal to compete in different equipment shows that the world continues to remember Ukraine.
‘The whole world is talking about Ukraine right now not because of me or my actions, but because of the athletes portrayed on my helmet. Their voices are so strong that they cannot be silenced’, Heraskevych said.
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The skeleton athlete also pointed out that the Russian team has been allowed to participate in the 2026 Paralympic Games with the right to use its national symbols and anthem. Former military personnel are also part of the Russian delegation: ‘Yesterday they were killing Ukrainians in Ukraine, and tomorrow they will continue to do so while spreading Russian propaganda on the international stage’.
According to Heraskevych, the price of spreading Russian propaganda in international sport is human lives.
On February 12, the IOC disqualified Heraskevych just before his first run at the Olympics. The committee stated that the disqualification resulted from Heraskevych’s refusal to comply with the IOC Athlete Expression Guidelines.
The decision to disqualify him was made by the IBSF jury, which stated that Heraskevych’s helmet ‘is not compliant with the rules’.
On the morning of February 12, Heraskevych met with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, but the meeting ended without any results.
‘The IOC was very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete. This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case is not about the message, it is about where he wanted to express it.
Mr Heraskevych was able to display his helmet during all training runs. The IOC also offered him the option of displaying it immediately after the competition when going through the mixed zone’, the IOC said in a statement.
