Italy urges reversal of decision allowing Russia to compete under its flag at Paralympics

Zelensky Honors Disqualified Ukrainian Skeleton Racer as IOC Faces Mounting Criticism Over Paralympics

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sharply criticized the International Olympic Committee for disqualifying skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, calling the decision a betrayal of Olympic values as a parallel controversy erupts over the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags at the upcoming Paralympics.

Heraskevych, 27, was barred from competition on February 12 — just 45 minutes before his event — after refusing to remove his “helmet of remembrance,” which featured portraits of 22 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The IOC ruled that the helmet violated its guidelines on athlete expression, which prohibit political statements on the field of play. Zelensky responded by awarding Heraskevych the Order of Freedom at a meeting in Munich on February 14, telling the athlete that “remembrance is not a violation”.pravda

A Standoff at the Sliding Center

The confrontation between Heraskevych and the IOC built over several days. The IOC first informed the Ukrainian flag bearer on February 9 that the helmet could not be worn during races, though it was permitted in training. The committee offered alternatives, including a black armband or the option to display the helmet in the mixed zone after his runs. Heraskevych refused each compromise. “I will not betray them,” he told CBS News.cnn

IOC President Kirsty Coventry met Heraskevych at the Cortina d’Ampezzo sliding center on the morning of his event in a final attempt to reach a resolution. Coventry was visibly emotional after the meeting, and the IOC subsequently revoked Heraskevych’s accreditation. “No one, especially me, is disagreeing with the messaging,” Coventry said. “The challenge that we are facing is that we wanted to ask or come up with a solution for just the field of play”.npr

Heraskevych appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which dismissed his case on February 13 after an eight-hour hearing, ruling that “freedom of expression is guaranteed at the Olympic Games but not on the field of play, which is a sacred principle”.aljazeera

Broader Fallout and Paralympics Row

The disqualification has since become entangled with a separate decision by the International Paralympic Committee to grant six entry slots to Russia and four to Belarus for the March 6-15 Milano Cortina Paralympics — the first time the Russian flag will fly at the Games since Sochi 2014. Zelensky, in an interview with Piers Morgan, called the decision “dirty” and “unjust,” comparing the incremental normalization of Russia’s participation to the pattern of its military aggression.pravda

Ukraine’s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, announced that Ukrainian officials would boycott all official Paralympic events, though athletes will still compete. Italy, the host nation, also urged the IPC on February 19 to reverse the decision, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi calling it incompatible with the spirit of the Games. The European Commission and 33 nations have expressed similar opposition.reuters

Heraskevych, who received a $200,000 donation from Shakhtar Donetsk president Rinat Akhmetov to continue his career, announced plans to pursue further legal action against the IOC, calling the disqualification “a pro-Russian move”. His father, Mykhailo Heraskevych, who coaches Ukraine’s skeleton team, has accused Russia of exerting influence over the IOC and CAS.united24media

“Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia,” Zelensky wrote on social media, “and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors”.president