Opinionolympicssports governancepolitical expression
IOC Bars Ukrainian Skeleton Athlete Sparks Backlash
6.1
Relevance Score
The International Olympic Committee barred Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Feb. 12 for wearing a helmet honoring athletes and coaches killed in Russia's 2022 invasion, then reinstated his credential after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The move drew condemnation from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and commentators, who called the IOC's enforcement of political neutrality tone-deaf; IOC president Kirsty Coventry met Heraskevych amid criticism.
