Olympics officials threaten action over Ukrainian athlete's banned helmet he refuses to take off

Officials at this year's Winter Olympics have threatened action over a helmet, after a Ukrainian athlete refused to remove the banned item.

Skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych faces being disqualified from the games after he wore a memorial helmet in tribute to those who have died in the war in Ukraine.

In a post on X, Heraskevych wrote: “The IOC has turned the situation with the ‘Memory Helmet’ into a theater of the absurd.

“Earlier we asked, and now we demand the lifting of the ban on using the ‘Memory Helmet’ during competitions at the Olympic Games. It is obvious that it does not violate any IOC rules.”

He previously called the decision 'heartbreaking' on Instagram, writing: "The IOC has banned the use of my helmet at official training sessions and competitions.

"A decision that simply breaks my heart. The feeling that the IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, not allowing them to be honored on the sports arena where these athletes will never be able to step again.

"Despite precedents in modern times and in the past when the IOC allowed such tributes, this time they decided to set special rules just for Ukraine."

Despite the ban, Heraskevych has been continuing to train in the helmet, which features images of athletes and children who have died in Ukraine

At a press conference, International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesperson Mark Adams warned Heraskevych of the consequences if he continued to wear it.

He said: “He can, and we would encourage him, to express his grief, but in the end let me be clear.

“It’s not the message, it’s the place that counts. There are 130 conflicts going on in the world. We cannot have 130 different conflicts featured, however terrible they are, during the field of play, during the actual competition.

“This is what the athletes want. They want that specific moment on the field of play to be free from any distraction.”

He added: “I don’t think it is helpful to speculate. But, obviously there are rules and regulations that the athletes themselves want us to enforce, and they will ultimately be enforced.

“We will contact the athlete today, we will reiterate the many, many opportunities that he has to express his grief.

“He can do so on social media, in the press conferences, in the mixed zone. We will try to talk to him about that, and try to convince him. We would beg him, we want you to compete.”

Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states that 'no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas'.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Heraskevych in a post on social media.

He wrote: "I thank the flag bearer of our national team at the Winter Olympics, Vladyslav Heraskevych, for reminding the world of the price of our struggle.

"This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or called a 'political demonstration at a sporting event.' It is a reminder to the entire world of what modern Russia is."