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IOC president fights back tears after Ukrainian Olympian banned over helmet
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president issued an emotional statement after a Ukrainian Olympian who wore a helmet honouring war dead was disqualified from competing.
Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from competing in the Winter Olympics skeleton heats on Thursday (12 February) after he went against the IOC’s rules in an effort to pay tribute to Ukrainian athletes who have died during the ongoing war with Russia.
The IOC reiterated to Heraskevych and the Ukrainian delegation that his helmet violated rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”.
“I really wanted to see him race today,” Kirsty Coventry told reporters.
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