The Biggest Scandal of the Winter Olympic Games: The Disqualification of Ukrainian Athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych

14.02.2026 | International news

The disqualification of Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych due to the design of his helmet is the biggest scandal of the Winter Olympic Games so far. The article examines the reasons and impact of this decision.

Снимка от Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, под лиценз CC BY-SA 4.0

The disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympic Games due to the design of his helmet is the biggest scandal so far.

The helmet that Vladyslav wore depicted Ukrainian athletes who had died following Russia's full-scale invasion.

Why did this case cause so much controversy?

Many people believe that this decision was politically motivated and restricts Vladyslav's right to express his position.

Reactions and Consequences

It is worth noting that there is significant international reaction and criticism of this decision. This raised questions about freedom of speech and the political neutrality of the Olympic Games.