Disqualified Ukrainian racer reveals fresh tribute to fallen athletes as he returns home from Olympics
Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympics after a row over his war tribute helmet
Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has returned to a Kyiv grappling with power, heating, and water disruptions, yet finds solace in being home after his disqualification from the Milan Cortina Olympics.
"Despite all that, home is the warmest place," Heraskevych told The Associated Press on Wednesday, standing in Kyiv’s central square as temperatures hovered around minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit).
Heraskevych, considered a potential medal contender, was disqualified approximately 45 minutes before his competition on 12 February.
The decision came after he refused a last-minute plea from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove a helmet honouring over 20 athletes and coaches killed since Russia’s invasion of his country four years ago.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Heraskevych’s appeal against the IOC and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation the following day, though his race had already commenced, making competition impossible even if his appeal had succeeded.
The controversy surrounding the helmet garnered significant global media attention. Heraskevych now intends to leverage this newfound spotlight to launch a fundraising initiative for the families of the fallen Ukrainians depicted on his helmet.
"It wasn’t me who drew attention to Ukraine — it was them," he stated. "It is their voices that are heard very loudly."
Recalling his disqualification, Heraskevych described a conversation with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, held about an hour before the race, as respectful but ultimately unproductive.
"Unfortunately, we were not heard," he said, adding that IOC representatives failed to clearly explain how the helmet violated any rules.
Ms Coventry has consistently maintained that his disqualification was justified, citing guidelines for athlete expression at the Olympics.
These state, in part, that "the focus on the field of play during competitions and official ceremonies must be on celebrating athletes’ performances." Heraskevych, however, never made it to the field of play in competition.
He also questioned what he perceived as inconsistent enforcement, pointing to the display of a Russian flag on the helmet of Italian snowboarder Roland Fischnaller without apparent sanction.
The multiple flags on Fischnaller’s helmet were a tribute to all past Olympic sites where he competed, including the 2014 Sochi Games.
Heraskevych further claimed that he and other Ukrainian athletes observed Russian flags in the stands at Olympic venues, which were supposedly prohibited by the IOC.
Russian athletes have not competed under their country’s flag at a Winter Olympics since 2014, when Russia hosted a doping-tainted Games in Sochi. Some are now competing as "neutral athletes," without a national flag.
Ukraine's sports minister last week expressed concern over IOC actions, which his government believes indicate the body may soon ease restrictions against Russian athletes.
"I told her that, from the outside, based on what I read in the media, it looks like you are playing along with Russia," Heraskevych recounted.
On Tuesday, the International Paralympic Committee announced that Russia’s National Paralympic Committee had been allocated six slots for the upcoming Games, scheduled from 6-15 March.
Following her meeting with Heraskevych and his father, Ms Coventry said they inquired about what the IOC could do for Ukraine, specifically addressing urgent needs such as generators for the country’s severely damaged power grid.
She stated that she told Heraskevych she would be "more than happy to work with him and his dad to go out and to ask leaders, governments to try and help."
"The IOC has, in the last few years, given over \$10 million to Ukraine, to the NOC, to sports, to athletes. We want to continue to do that," she added.
The IOC has not indicated whether it will directly contribute to Heraskevych’s new initiative.
For Heraskevych, his steadfast refusal came at a significant personal cost. He began training in skeleton with his father in 2014, a time when the sport was virtually non-existent in Ukraine. Without established infrastructure or senior teammates, he explained, they had to forge their own path.
Heraskevych would likely have been a legitimate medal contender in Cortina: he finished no worse than sixth place in any of his five official training runs leading up to the Olympic race, and recorded the fastest time in one of those runs – although some contenders, such as British gold medallist Matt Weston, sat out that particular run to rest.
"It truly hurts, and we have really been working toward this for a very long time," he admitted.
Ultimately, Heraskevych expresses no regret over his decision to compete wearing his helmet. He noted that the portraits it features represent only a fraction of the "countless" friends and acquaintances he has lost during the war.
"Many people I knew left us far too early, at the age when they should have been starting families and building their lives," he said. "Instead, we now have death in their place — and it hurts."
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