Sawt Falasteen - 'Madness': Ukrainians furious over Olympian ban for memorial helmet

The IOC had said Heraskevych could instead wear a black armband, but the 27-year-old insisted on competing in his helmet adorned with portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia.

"There's nothing apart from pictures of the dead on this helmet," 41-year-old Dmytro Yasenovskyi told AFP in central Kyiv.

"What madness," he said.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago has left hundreds of Ukrainian athletes dead, officials say, and stirred tensions at a string of international sporting events.

Gestures of a political nature during competition have been forbidden since 2021 but athletes can express their views in press conferences and on social media.

"He didn't do anything wrong. This is not propaganda," Yasenovskyi added.

The IOC said earlier on Thursday the skeleton racer's accreditation had been pulled after he was given a last chance to reconsider.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the 27-year-old and threw his weight behind his stand.

"The Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors," Zelensky said in a post on social media, referring to Russian, which invaded Ukraine four years ago.

"We are proud of Vladyslav and of what he did. Having courage is worth more than any medal," Zelensky added.

Hours later, Zelensky said he was bestowing Heraskevych a state award "for selfless service to the Ukrainian people, civic courage, and patriotism in defending the ideals of freedom and democratic values."

"Vladyslav, you acted with dignity!" Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidny wrote on social media.

- 'Burn in hell' -

Heraskevych can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but CAS told AFP it had not heard from him.

Photos of Heraskevych's father with his head in his hands -- evidently heartbroken by the IOC's decision -- went viral in Ukraine.

One of the country's leading online news portals, Ukrainska Pravda, changed its website banner to include a picture of Heraskevych and his helmet.

"I'm proud of our athlete for his stance, for not giving in even at the cost of his sporting career," 39-year-old Ilya Zakhar told AFP in Kyiv.

And to the IOC, the IT project manager had one thing to say:

"Let them burn in hell."

In 2022, days before Russia launched its invasion, Heraskevych displayed a banner that read "No War in Ukraine" at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Russian attacks in the years since have devastated towns and cities across Ukraine, displaced millions, and, according to Zelensky, has killed 660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches.

Hours before the IOC announced its decision, Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine, including Kyiv, cut critical amenities to hundreds of thousands of people.

"When people sit in such cold, without water, without heating, without electricity, then a helmet is something meaningful," Yasenovskyi said.

"They should come and live here for a few days, and then they can talk about what's allowed, and what's not."

G.AbuOdeh--SF-PST