The passions at the 2026 Olympics, related to the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, are gaining new momentum. The International Olympic Committee stated that it does not consider its activities as a tool for political protest against wars. This is reported by UNN with reference to the IOC press conference.
Details
This statement was made by IOC spokesperson Mark Adams, commenting on the suspension of the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee and the organization's general position amid Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
According to him, the decision regarding the ROC was made solely on sports and legal grounds - due to a violation of the Olympic Charter, and not as an act of protest against the war.
The suspension of the NOC's activities is not a protest against the war. If we started protesting against wars, there would perhaps be five NOCs here today, and in the summer, probably even fewer, because as a sports organization, when we start speaking out against wars and conflicts, there will be no end to it.
Thus, the IOC effectively outlined the line between politics and sports, on which the organization has been trying to balance since the beginning of the Russian invasion. At the same time, the inclusion of Olympic structures from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine into the ROC in 2023 became the reason for the suspension of the Russian committee's membership. The IOC then stated a direct violation of the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine and the norms of the Olympic Charter.
Adams also stressed that the main mission of the IOC is to maintain dialogue and unite countries even during periods of acute conflict.
Perhaps it doesn't resolve wars, it may not bring peace, but it's a powerful message that brings people together and says: this is what the world could be like if we all respected the rules.
Additionally
The membership of the Russian Olympic Committee was suspended in 2023 after Olympic organizations from occupied Ukrainian territories were included in its structure. This decision remains one of the most high-profile in the modern history of international sports.
Recall
The IOC disqualified Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych before the first run of the 2026 Olympics in skeleton because he was supposed to start in a "helmet of memory" - as a sign of respect for fallen Ukrainian athletes and all our Heroes.
Heraskevych himself told reporters that he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
At the same time, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned this decision, calling it a shameful moment and a betrayal of the Olympic Code.