IOC blocks Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych from wearing 'helmet of remembrance' at Games

Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych will not be allowed to wear a "helmet of remembrance" in honour of ​those killed in the war with Russia in the skeleton competition at the Winter Games, the International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday.

Ukraine's Olympic Committee had earlier made a request for Heraskevych to be able to wear the helmet, which features images of Ukrainian athletes killed in the conflict with Russia since Moscow's full invasion of ​their country in 2022.

"The IOC fully understands the desire of athletes to remember friends who lost their lives in that conflict," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams told a news conference on ⁠Tuesday.

"He has done that in training and, on social media, he has expressed ‍his feelings. But what we ⁠have said is this helmet contravenes the … guidelines."

Adams ​said the IOC would make an exception to the guidelines and allow Heraskevych to wear a plain black armband in competition.

"We feel this is a good compromise," he added.

Heraskevych said on Monday that a representative of the IOC had told him he could not use the ⁠helmet, which he had been wearing in training.

The 27-year-old told CBC News his helmet features the faces of some of his friends who have been killed by Russia.

“I think it's also very important that people abroad see the sacrifices of Ukraine, and also keep thinking about Ukraine,” Heraskevych said.

Ukraine's Olympic Committee said in a statement that Heraskevych's helmet "was created to honour Ukrainian athletes killed while defending Ukraine or who became victims of Russia's ‍full-scale war against Ukraine."

"The NOC of Ukraine emphasizes that it fully complies with safety requirements and IOC rules, does not contain advertising, political slogans or