The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has disqualified Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Heraskevych for violating the rules by using a prohibited helmet.
"Report" reports that the organization's press service has released information about this.
The athlete's accreditation to participate in the XXV Winter Olympic Games in Italy has been canceled. The reason for this is the presence on the skeleton athlete's helmet of images of Ukrainian athletes who died as a result of the military conflict, and his insistence on participating in the competition with this equipment.
IOC officials, including the head of the organization, Kirsty Coventry, met with the athlete and offered compromise options, but V. Heraskevych refused to comply with the rules. The jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) also decided that the helmet did not comply with the current rules.
Despite the ban, Vladislav Heraskevych participated in the training session on February 12 with the same helmet.