Ukrainian Skeleton Athlete's Appeal Over Memorial Helmet Rejected by CAS

Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych, 27, has lost his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after being banned from competition for attempting to wear a memorial helmet.

AP reported on Feb. 14 that CAS rejected Heraskevych's appeal to overturn his ban from the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The court ruled that wearing the helmet violated Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states that "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."

CAS stated it "fully sympathizes with Heraskevych's commemorative intentions and his attempt to raise awareness of the suffering experienced by Ukrainian people and athletes due to the war," but concluded that "the ban was reasonable and appropriate."

Heraskevych had sought to wear a helmet featuring the faces of fellow athletes killed in the Russia-Ukraine war to honor their memory. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) revoked his eligibility to compete. Following the ruling, Heraskevych said, "The IOC is on the wrong side of history."

Heraskevych's legal team argued the ruling was inconsistent with treatment of other athletes. At these Olympics, American figure skater Maxim Naumov displayed photos of his parents who died in a plane crash last year, while Italian snowboarder Roland Fischnaller competed wearing a helmet featuring a small Russian flag image.

The IOC rejected these comparisons, stating these cases did not constitute rule violations. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams explained, "Naumov displayed the photo in the kiss-and-cry area, not during competition. Fischnaller's helmet honored all Olympic host cities where he has competed, including the 2014 Sochi Games. Fierstone's kippah was covered by a beanie."