“Sport Doesn’t Mean Amnesia“: Zelenskyy Criticizes IOC Over Disqualification of Ukrainian Olympian Heraskevych

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych.

“Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors. Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise. This is certainly not about the principles of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace,” Zelenskyy reported via X on February 12.

The Ukrainian President thanked Heraskevych for his stance and emphasized the symbolic meaning of the “memorial helmet,” which features portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy also pointed out that Russia has repeatedly violated the principles of the Olympic Truce.

“It is Russia that constantly violates Olympic principles, using the period of the Olympic Games to wage war. In 2008, it was the war against Georgia; in 2014 – the occupation of Crimea; in 2022 – the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And now, in 2026, despite repeated calls for a ceasefire during the Winter Olympics, Russia shows complete disregard, increasing missile and drone strikes on our energy infrastructure and our people,” he said.

The president added that Russia had killed 660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches during the full-scale war, and that hundreds of Ukrainian sportspeople would never return to the Olympic stage or any other international competitions.

At the same time, he noted, 13 Russian athletes were competing in Italy under so-called neutral flags despite openly backing Russia’s aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territory, arguing that they “were the ones who deserved disqualification.“

Additionally, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded Vladyslav Heraskevych the Order of Freedom.

“For selfless service to the Ukrainian people, civic courage, and patriotism in defending the ideals of freedom and democratic values,” the presidential decree reads.

Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Matvii Bidnyi, also condemned the decision, saying it “looks like a mistake that they did not dare to correct.”

“We will correct this mistake through legal channels,” Bidnyi said. “Vladyslav, you acted with dignity. This story will definitely continue.”

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha likewise criticized the IOC, accusing the organization of having “intimidated, disrespected, and even lectured our athlete and other Ukrainians on how they should keep quiet about ‘one of 130 conflicts in the world’.”

He added that Russia is “a country that started three invasions during the Olympic Truce in the past three decades, implemented the largest state-funded doping program, killed 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches, and damaged 800 sports facilities in Ukraine. These are Russians who must be banned, not the commemoration of their victims. None of them are ‘neutral’.”

Before the disqualification was announced, Heraskevych addressed the controversy on his Instagram page, saying he had never sought confrontation with the IOC and did not consider himself responsible for the dispute. He argued that the situation arose from the IOC’s interpretation of the rules, which many, in his view, regard as discriminatory.

Following the announcement, Heraskevych said he regretted how the situation had unfolded but maintained that he stood by his actions. Speaking to a Suspilne Sport correspondent, he acknowledged that he had not wanted the scandal and had hoped to take part in what he described as a sporting celebration.

Earlier, IOC has prohibited Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych from using a helmet featuring portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed as a result of Russia’s invasion during official training sessions and competitions at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

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