Ukrainians rush to support 'hero' skeleton racer after IOC disqualification

KYIV, Feb 12 : Energy workers flashed signs of support. A bank offered a cash prize worth nearly $25,000. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his courage was "worth more than any medal".

Just hours after the International Olympic Committee disqualified skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympics on Thursday, a wave of support for the 27-year-old swept Ukraine.

The Kyiv native had refused an IOC demand that he give up a hand-painted helmet emblazoned with two-dozen portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia's four-year war against its smaller neighbour.

Olympic officials cited rules that prohibit political statements during the Games.

ZELENSKIY GIVES RACER A STATE AWARD

The war has killed tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops and civilians, ravaged swaths of land and left countless psychological scars - making Heraskevych's defiance resonate widely.

"The IOC's disqualification of Vladyslav Heraskevych is a disgrace," said First Deputy Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on social media. "It is moral surrender dressed up as 'neutrality'."

IOC President Kirsty Coventry met Heraskevych early on Thursday but said she had not been able to broker a solution. The IOC had suggested compromises including wearing a black armband or showing the helmet before and after racing.

It had also allowed him to wear it in training runs.

Zelenskiy, Kyiv's military and leading Ukrainian banks were among those from almost every walk of life who joined a chorus of support for Heraskevych.

The Ukrainian leader - who gave the racer a state award - said the disqualification contradicted the spirit of the Games, adding that "the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors".

ENERGY FIRM SAYS