Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych defies Olympic ban with powerful post-race gesture

A Ukrainian skeleton athlete has flashed a small sign that read “No War in Ukraine” to the cameras as he finished a run at the Beijing Olympics.

Vladyslav Heraskevych’s sign was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper, matching the colours of his country’s flag.

He didn’t display the message after his second run of the night, which was his fourth and final run of the Olympics on Friday night.

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“It’s my position. Like any normal people, I don’t want war,” Heraskevych said after he finished competing.

“I want peace in my country, and I want peace in the world. It’s my position, so I fight for that. I fight for peace.”

The gesture came as Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine, stoking fears in the West that Moscow is planning an invasion.

Russia insists it has no such designs but doesn’t want Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to be allowed to join the western NATO alliance.

“In Ukraine, it’s really nervous now,” Heraskevych said.

“A lot of news about guns, about weapons, what’s to come in Ukraine, about some armies around Ukraine. It’s not OK. Not in the 21st century. So I decided, before the Olympics, that I would show my position to the world.”

Shortly after the race, the International Olympic Committee said there would be no repercussions for the athlete.

There had been a question of whether the body might consider Heraskevych’s act a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter.

That rule, in part, states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

“This was a general call for peace. For the IOC the matter is closed,” the