Ukrainian face of Games Heraskevych urges coalition against Russia’s Olympic return

July 7 : Skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, the Ukrainian face of the Milano Cortina Games after his helmet controversy, called on Tuesday for a coalition of national Olympic committees to oppose the IOC’s provisional lifting of Russia’s suspension and said visa bans and boycott talks should be on the table.

Heraskevych, who was disqualified from the 2026 Winter Olympics over a helmet carrying a message about Ukraine, told Reuters the IOC's decision was “absolutely shameful” and risked giving Russia a platform for propaganda.

“I believe that we should make a strong stand with other national Olympic committees, with other nations against this decision,” Heraskevych said.

Asked whether a boycott could be a solution, he said: “If we have a strong coalition.

“I hope we could organise some event and some meeting with the National Olympic Committee from other nations, without involvement of the IOC,” he added.

Russia’s Olympic committee was suspended in October 2023 for recognising regional Olympic councils in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine — Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — in violation, the IOC said at the time, of the Olympic Charter and the territorial integrity of Ukraine’s Olympic Committee.

The IOC said on Tuesday it had not yet decided whether Russia could display its flag and colours or have its anthem played at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the Olympic body did not condone war and would continue supporting Ukraine, but added that athletes should not “pay the price” for the actions of their government.

Heraskevych rejected the IOC’s reasoning, saying Russian sports federations were still active in occupied Ukrainian territories.

“First of all, because a lot of federations,