Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed support for skeleton racer Vladislav Hraskevich after the athlete claimed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned him from wearing a helmet commemorating Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Ukrainian Winter Olympics flag-bearer Hraskevich revealed in a social media post that his custom-made helmet – which bears the likenesses of male and female athletes killed since Russia invaded in 2022 – has been banned from training and competing at the Italian Winter Olympics. “This breaks my heart,” the 27-year-old wrote, adding that he would submit a formal appeal and continue to seek permission to use the design.
The IOC has yet to publicly confirm the reported decision, but the controversy has prompted a strong response from Kyiv. Zelensky praised Hraskevich’s efforts to bring global attention to the conflict, writing on the “This fact cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate or be called a ‘political demonstration at a sporting event’. It reminds the world what modern Russia is like.”
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The controversy comes as Article 50 of Olympic rules limits political posturing during games, but athletes are still free to express their views at press conferences and online. Ukraine’s sports minister, Matviy Bidnyi, recently said the Russian intrusion had claimed the lives of “more than 650 athletes and coaches.”Hraskevich explained in the video that the image on his helmet represents only a small portion of those who have passed away, which includes Olympians and Youth Olympic medalists such as figure skater Dmytro Chapar. The skeleton racer, competing in his third Winter Olympics, says his mission is about more than just sports.
