IOC bans helmet: Vladislav Heraskevich is not allowed to wear the ‘helmet of remembrance’

Heraskevich said he would respect Olympic rules while continuing to raise awareness about the war in Ukraine at the games.

“We have over 90 countries competing here, thousands of athletes, and there are a bunch of things that people want to commemorate,” Adams added.

“At the Olympics we want a safe space to compete away from that, while allowing them to express themselves.

“He can wear a badge without text. No matter how much we agree with the expression, we have to maintain a good balance.”

Adams said people will “push the rules to their limits” and the IOC will evaluate each case on an individual basis.

“Our rule is we have to protect the field of play, it’s difficult and there will be people trying to game the system, so that’s where we have to ban logos,” Adams said.

“Where there is a valid reason, other athletes will also be allowed to be black-badged.”

He said Toshio Tsurunaga, the IOC representative responsible for communications between athletes, national Olympic committees and the IOC, went to the athletes’ village to inform him.

“The IOC has banned the use of my helmet in training sessions and official competitions,” Heraskevich, who carried a Ukrainian flag at the opening ceremony on Friday, said on Instagram on Monday., external

“It is a decision that simply breaks my heart. The feeling that the IOC is betraying these athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, and not allowing them to be honored in the sporting arena where these athletes will never be able to advance again.

“Despite precedents in modern times and in the past when the IOC allowed such honours, this time it has decided to establish special rules just for Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Heraskevich “for reminding the world of the price of our struggle” in a post on X., external

Heraskevich, the first Ukrainian athlete, held up a banner reading “No to war in Ukraine” at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, days before Russia invaded the country.

Following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, athletes from Russia and Belarus were largely banned from international sport, but since then there has been a gradual return to competition, but not under their national flags.

The IOC cleared 13 athletes from Russia and seven from Belarus, external To compete as Individual Athletes of Neutrals (AINs) in Milano-Cortina.