Zelenskyy rips IOC after Ukrainian athlete gets disqualified over helmet honoring victims of Russian war

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ripped the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday after an athlete was disqualified for wearing a helmet to honor victims in the war with Russia.

The IOC said Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych’s decision to continue to wear the helmet that paid tribute to more than 20 athletes and coaches who died in the war violated the organization’s policy against making political statements on the field of play.

The ruling caused massive backlash among Ukrainian athletes.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint news conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

"Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors," Zelenskyy wrote on social media. "Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise. This is certainly not about the principles of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace.

"I thank our athlete for his clear stance. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honor and remembrance. It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rule has been broken."

Zelenskyy pinned the blame on Russia for violating "Olympic principles" with its continued wars on neighboring nations, including his own.

Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete under a neutral flag in