Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych continues to use a helmet with images of deceased Ukrainian athletes, despite warnings from the International Olympic Committee about violating rules regarding political messages at the Olympic Games. Consequently, the IOC continues to warn Heraskevych about the potential consequences of his stance. This is reported by UNN with reference to Daily Mail.
Details
The IOC had previously urged the skeleton racer to abandon the "memory helmet" before the first heats, but the 27-year-old athlete rejected this condition and used the aforementioned helmet on Tuesday during training.
I've used it in all training sessions. I used it today, I'll use it tomorrow, and on the day of the competition. I sincerely believe that we haven't violated any laws or rules.
According to the source, IOC representative Mark Adams stated the following:
We will contact the athlete today, emphasizing the many opportunities he has to express his grief. As we have already discussed, he can do this on social media, at press conferences, in the mixed zone. We will try to persuade him. We really want him to compete. This is very important. The guidelines for athletes are published online, they have been agreed upon by 4,500 athletes and many athletes' commissions. The athletes themselves want this: they want the specific moment on the field to be free from any distractions. He can, and we encourage him to express his grief. We feel his pain. But ultimately, I want to be frank: it's not the message itself that's important, but where it's displayed.
Adams also commented on the possible disqualification of Heraskevych. He stated that the established rules would be followed.
I don't think it's useful to consider hypothetical scenarios, especially when we are trying to negotiate for him to participate. But there are rules, and they must be followed. These rules are agreed upon by the athletes themselves and they will be followed.
It is worth noting that despite the non-sporting moments, Vlad shows good results in training. In particular, on Tuesday he finished second, and on Monday third.
Recall
Ukrainian luger Olena Smaga supported skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, whom the IOC forbade from competing in a helmet with photos of deceased athletes. She showed the inscription "Memory is not a violation" on her hand during the competition.