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A Ban for Ukraine, Silence for Russia? IOC Faces Double Standards Scrutiny Over Sanctioned Logos
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Amid controversy surrounding the IOC’s ban of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, pro-Ukrainian online account Saint Javelin raised concerns about what it described as inconsistencies in the International Olympic Committee’s approach to Russian and Ukrainian athletes.
In their post, Saint Javelin noted that in previous seasons, Russian lugers Pavel Repilov and Daria Olesik competed while displaying the logo of Energon LLC on their equipment—a sanctioned company linked to drone production for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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While Ukrainian athlete who honor his fallen teammates face ban, Russian lugers Pavel Repilov and Daria Olesik were allowed to compete under a “neutral” flag after openly promoting a company that co-produces the very drones killing Ukrainians.
— Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) February 13, 2026
The company, Energon LLC, is under… pic.twitter.com/Xe8AEKOejX
Unlike Heraskevych, who was barred from competing after refusing to remove the helmet tribute, Repilov and Olesik were not sanctioned by the IOC over the display of Energon’s logo on their equipment during previous seasons, Saint Javelin said, framing the cases as evidence of inconsistent enforcement of Olympic rules before pointing to Energon’s role in Russia’s drone supply chain.
Ukraine’s War & Sanctions portal lists Energon LLC as subject to sanctions in multiple jurisdictions, including the US, Canada, the EU, and the UK.
Energon, a distributor of microelectronics and composite materials, appears from trade data to be heavily involved in supplying Russia’s drone industry, including companies linked to drone production.
Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Olympic skeleton competition on February 12 after refusing to replace a helmet bearing portraits of Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion
The IOC initially withdrew his accreditation, but later reversed that decision after IOC President Kirsty Coventry intervened, allowing him to remain at the Milano Cortina Games while keeping the competition ban in place.
Heraskevych has appealed his Winter Olympics disqualification to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS,) the court said on Thursday.
He is seeking reinstatement or permission to complete a supervised run that would allow him to remain in the competition while CAS considers a final decision. The final two runs are scheduled for Friday evening.
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