Skeleton racer Heraskevych shows pictures of athletes killed in Ukraine struggle on his helmet

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Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych educated on Monday on the Milano-Cortina Video games in a helmet with pictures of compatriots killed in the course of the struggle in Ukraine, delivering on a promise to make use of the Olympics to maintain consideration on the battle.

“A few of them had been my buddies,” Heraskevych, who's his nation's flag-bearer, advised Reuters of the portraits after his coaching session on the Cortina Sliding Heart.

Seen on the helmet are teenage weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ischenko, ice hockey participant Oleksiy Loginov, actor and athlete Ivan Kononenko, diving athlete and coach Mykyta Kozubenko, shooter Oleksiy Habarov and dancer Daria Kurdel, he advised Reuters.

The 26-year-old stated the Worldwide Olympic Committee had contacted Ukraine's Olympic Committee over his helmet.

"It is nonetheless being processed," he stated.

Heraskevych, who held up a “No Battle in Ukraine” signal at the Beijing Olympics days earlier than Russia’s 2022 invasion, had stated he meant to respect Olympic guidelines prohibiting political demonstrations at venues whereas nonetheless guaranteeing Ukraine’s plight remained seen in the course of the Video games.

Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Constitution states: "No form of demonstration or political, spiritual or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic websites, venues or different areas."

Neither the IOC nor the Ukrainian committee had any speedy touch upon Heraskevych's case.

<img loading="lazy" alt="Ukrainian male Olympians." srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/574cd335-2816-4eb9-9a48-2c175fc5939e,1770652904488/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5157%2C3438%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/574cd335-2816-4eb9-9a48-2c175fc5939e,1770652904488/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5157%2C3438%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/574cd335-2816-4eb9-9a48-2c175fc5939e,1770652904488/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5157%2C3438%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/574cd335-2816-4eb9-9a48-2c175fc5939e,1770652904488/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5157%2C3438%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.5" data-cy="image-img"/> Heraskevych, proper, walked into the opening ceremony on Friday at Piazza Dibona as Ukraine's flag-bearer. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Pictures) Sports activities and politics Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus had been largely barred from worldwide sport, however the IOC has since backed their gradual return underneath strict circumstances.

Moscow and Minsk say sport ought to stay separate from worldwide conflicts.

There have been a lot of incidents over time the place athletes protested on the sphere of play or on the medals podium.

Probably the most well-known case dates again to the 1968 Summer season Olympics in Mexico Metropolis when U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists in the course of the 200 metres medal ceremony to protest racial injustice within the U.S.

That led to their expulsion from the Video games, though Smith saved his gold medal and Carlos his bronze.

Extra not too long ago, on the 2024 Paris Summer season Olympics, Afghan breakdancer Manizha Talash, a member of the refugee Olympic workforce, was disqualified after sporting a cape with the slogan.

"Free Afghan Girls" throughout a pre-qualifying competitors. Nonetheless, there have additionally been instances the place athletes and groups escaped punishment when their motion was not deemed political.

Australia's ladies's soccer workforce unfurled a flag of the primary peoples of Australia on the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 however, whereas not one of many acknowledged flags of taking part nations on the Video games, the workforce weren't sanctioned.

Two Chinese language biking medallists who wore badges that includes the pinnacle of their nation's former chief Mao Zedong on the Tokyo Olympics podium escaped with a warning.