Minister Bidny supports Heraskevych after disqualification, announces 'correction of error'

The Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, Matviy Bidny, has called the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to disqualify the Ukrainian skeleton athlete and flag bearer of the national team of Ukraine at the XXV Winter Olympic Games Milan-Cortina 2026, Vladyslav Heraskevych, for using a helmet with portraits of Ukrainian athletes who died during the war, a mistake that he will help correct.

"Today, Vladyslav Heraskevych was not allowed to start at the Olympic Games. After that, the IOC announced that it was "regretfully" revoking his accreditation. According to the IOC, the decision was made by the jury due to the alleged non-compliance of the helmet with the rules. This decision looks like a mistake that they did not dare to correct. We will correct this mistake in the legal field," Bidny wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

At the same time, he expressed his unequivocal support for the Olympian. "Vladislav, you did a worthy thing! This story will definitely continue. We are with you," wrote Bidny.

As reported, Heraskevych, whom the IOC disqualified on Thursday morning before the first race of the 2026 Olympics in skeleton due to a fundamental disagreement with the ban on the use of helmets with portraits of Ukrainian athletes who died during the war, insists that he did not violate any rules and had the right to compete in a helmet.

At the same time, he expressed "great doubts" about the arguments of the IOC president about alleged support and solidarity with Ukraine, "especially after this decision," and announced a lawsuit to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on this matter.

The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOC) came out in support of Heraskevych, stating after the disqualification that