Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemns the Olympic ban on skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych for wearing a helmet honouring war victims, calling it a victory for aggressors.

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the decision to ban skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympics for refusing to remove a helmet depicting victims of the war with Russia.

Zelensky said the move plays “into the hands of aggressors” in a social media post on Thursday.

The International Olympic Committee stated the athlete failed “to adhere to the IOC athlete expression guidelines”.

The ban was enforced by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation jury, which ruled the helmet non-compliant with competition rules.

Heraskevych had insisted on wearing the headgear, which carries pictures of Ukrainian sportspeople killed since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

A defiant Heraskevych posted on X that the ban was “the price of our dignity”, alongside a picture of his helmet.

The IOC said it had offered alternatives, including allowing him to wear a plain black armband during competition and to display the helmet in the mixed zone afterwards.

Heraskevych was able to display it during all training runs.

IOC president Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic champion, met with Heraskevych in a last-ditch effort to persuade him.

Video showed Coventry in tears after the emotional meeting, where she said she spoke to him “as an athlete”.

She explained the rules aim to be fair and allow for expression while keeping athletes safe.

An impassioned Heraskevych, who remains at the Games despite being disqualified, told reporters at the Cortina Sliding Centre he believed his disqualification was “totally wrong”.

He cited other athletes in similar situations who faced no sanctions.

He added the situation “plays along with Russian propaganda” and that Ukrainians were being “killed for nothing”.

Heraskevych said, “I believe we should honour people who sacrificed their lives.”

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Olympic chiefs “dearly wanted him to compete” and that it would have sent a powerful message.

Adams stated the issue was the place of expression, not the message itself, adding, “We cannot have athletes having pressure put on them by their political masters.”

Ukrainian fans at the venue expressed dismay.

Irina Nalivayko from Kyiv said the people on the helmet “are real people that died because of the Russian invasion”.

She highlighted the ongoing war’s toll, stating, “It’s unacceptable.”

Heraskevych has the option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but CAS told AFP it had not heard from him.

At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, just days before Russia’s invasion, Heraskevych displayed a “No War in Ukraine” banner.

The ongoing conflict has caused massive destruction, ruined cities, and killed tens of thousands.

 The Sun Malaysia