Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych has revealed that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has prohibited Ukrainian competitors from wearing helmets that display images of athletes killed in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This directive was communicated to Heraskevych in preparation for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy.
Heraskevych, 27, informed Reuters on February 9th that he received a direct warning from IOC Representative Toshio Tsurunaga. Tsurunaga, who is responsible for athletic relations at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games, explicitly told Heraskevych at the Olympic Village that such displays on helmets would not be permitted.
According to Heraskevych, Tsurunaga clarified that this prohibition falls under IOC Rule 50. This specific regulation, outlined in the Olympic Charter’s Section 50.2, strictly states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
The context of this directive is deeply rooted in the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, hundreds of Ukrainian athletes have tragically lost their lives.
