Ukraine appeals to IOC after Heraskevych barred from competing with "memory helmet"
Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee says a helmet displaying photos of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russian occupiers complies with International Olympic Committee rules.
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Vladyslav Heraskevych / © Associated Press
The committee has appealed to the IOC to allow Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics wearing a special “memory helmet” featuring images of athletes killed by Russian forces.
Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee announced the appeal on its official Telegram channel.
The NOC stresses that the helmet meets IOC regulations and urged officials to allow Heraskevych to compete in it as a sign of support for Ukraine during the ongoing war with Russia.
“The helmet was created to honour Ukrainian athletes who died defending Ukraine or those who became victims of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee stresses that it fully complies with safety requirements and IOC rules, contains no advertising, political slogans or discriminatory elements, and was confirmed as meeting established standards during official training sessions!
Ukraine has always respected, respects and will continue to respect Olympic values and adheres to the Olympic Charter.
The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine expresses hope for a fair, objective and impartial decision by the IOC. In the context of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, such a step would be an important sign of recognition of the memory of Ukrainian athletes and support for the Ukrainian nation,” the NOC said in a statement.