Ukrainian Olympian tells CNN he will continue honoring athletes killed in war: ‘Some things are more important than sports’

CNN

By Aleks Klosok, Amanda Davies, CNN

Milan (CNN) — Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych tells CNN he will defy the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and wear his helmet featuring images of athletes killed during the war in Ukraine.

The IOC earlier expressed understanding for Heraskevych’s situation but said that the helmet “contravenes” the governing body’s guidelines on political statements, offering to allow him to wear a black armband in commemoration instead.

In response, Heraskevych said at a press conference that he would wear the helmet regardless of the guidelines.

“Yes,” the slider said in reply to a question asking if he would defy the IOC’s decision. “If the IOC betrays these athletes, I will not betray them.”

“I wear this helmet two days ago, yesterday, today. I will wear it tomorrow and I will wear it for the race day,” Heraskevych told CNN’s Amanda Davies.

“These people sacrificed their lives and because of that, I am able to be here today. I’m able to be at the Olympics, and I will not betray them.”

CNN Sports has reached out to the IOC for comment.

The helmet in question was worn by the 27-year-old during a Winter Olympics skeleton training session in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Monday.

The athletes featured on the helmet are: weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ischenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, actor and athlete Ivan Kononenko, diver and coach Mykyta Kozubenko, shooter Oleksiy Habarov and dancer Daria Kurdel.

“Some things are more important than sports,” he told CNN. “To pay tribute to them, to people who sacrificed their lives because of this sacrifice, I’m able today to be here, and for me it’s important to pay tribute to them and pay honor to their families.”

In a video posted on social media following his training session, Heraskevych — who carried his country’s flag at the opening ceremony — said Toshio Tsurunaga, the IOC representative in charge of communications between athletes, national Olympic committees and the IOC, had gone to the Athletes’ Village to inform him of the decision.

“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,” he said in the video.

“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.”

CNN Sports has contacted Tsurunaga for comment.

“I became more disappointed after the latest news when US figure skater (Maxim Naumov) showed a photo of his parents who passed away,” Heraskevych later told CNN.

“So, is it OK for a US athlete but not OK for a Ukrainian athlete? … For me at this point, it seems like a big hypocrisy from IOC, and I believe I should be allowed to compete in this helmet.”

IOC rules state that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas,” however, Heraskevych told CNN he doesn’t believe his helmet violates the policy.

The IOC states that if an athlete fails to respect the rule, the incident will be “evaluated by their respective National Olympic Committee, International Federation and the IOC, and disciplinary action will be taken on a case-by-case basis as necessary.”

Heraskevych doesn’t seem overly worried about any possible discipline from the IOC, telling CNN, “It’s not basic to put any sanctions or disqualifications or anything or penalties on me because we didn’t violate any rules.”

Ukraine’s Olympic Committee announced Tuesday that it had submitted an official request to the IOC for Heraskevych to wear “a helmet of remembrance” at the Games.

“The helmet was created to honor Ukrainian athletes killed while defending Ukraine or who became victims of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine,” Ukraine’s Olympic Committee said in a statement.

“The NOC of Ukraine emphasizes that it fully complies with safety requirements and IOC rules, does not contain advertising, political slogans, or discriminatory elements, and was confirmed as meeting the established standards during official training sessions.”

At a press conference, IOC spokesman Mark Adams acknowledged the organization received the request, but still did not believe the helmet should be allowed.

“We received the formal request to wear the helmet in competition this morning. The IOC fully understands the desire of athletes to remember friends and colleague that have lost their lives in conflict,” Adams said.

“There was an informal meeting last night with Mr. Heraskevych’s coach and his delegation and we reiterated our understanding of the athlete wishing to pay tribute to his fellow Ukrainian athletes. … The Games need to be separated from not only political and religious, but from all types of interference so that all athletes can concentrate on their performance.

“He has done that in training and on social media, he has expressed his feelings, but what we have said is this helmet contravenes the … guidelines.”

Adams concluded, saying: “After the meeting, we will make an exception to the guidelines to allow him to wear a black armband during competition to make that commemoration. … We feel this is a good compromise.”

Heraskevych is not ready to accept the IOC’s conciliatory offer.

“I believe IOC doesn’t have enough black bands to memorize all the athletes who was killed in this war,” the slider told CNN.

Keeping Ukraine in the public eye

Speaking to CNN ahead of the Games, the Ukrainian athlete promised to used the event as a platform to remind the world of Russia’s ongoing war in his homeland and hinted that protests could take place.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media to praise Heraskevych for wearing the helmet, thanking him “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 whole world of what modern Russia is,” Zelenskyy wrote.

“And this is what reminds everyone of the global role of sports and the historic mission of the Olympic movement itself – it is all about peace and for the sake of life. Ukraine remains faithful to this. Russia proves otherwise.”

The IOC has cleared 13 Russian and 7 Belarusian athletes to participate as Individual Neutral Athletes in the Winter Games.

Heraskevych made headlines around the world four years ago at the Beijing Games when he held up a “No War in Ukraine” banner to protest the impending Russian invasion.

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