Sawt Falasteen - Heraskevych loses Olympics disqualification appeal, Malinin eyes second gold

The International Olympic Committee kicked Heraskevych out of the Milan-Cortina Games on Thursday following a stand-off between the 27-year-old, the IOC and the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) over his refusal to ditch the helmet that is adorned with pictures of Ukrainian sportsmen and women killed since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The IOC said the pictures on the helmet breached its rules on political neutrality during competition.

Heraskevych appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but after a hearing in Milan it said it had "denied an application" by Heraskevych.

CAS Secretary-General Matthieu Reeb told reporters after the hearing that the court had "found that freedom of expression is guaranteed at the Olympic Games, but not on the field of play, which is a sacred principle."

The IOC had tried and failed to come to a compromise with Heraskevych by allowing him to wear a plain black armband during Thursday's men's heats.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry met with Heraskevych in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Thursday, pleading with him to drop his insistence on wearing the helmet, but to no avail.

Coventry said on Friday "the rules are the rules as they stand today".

Heraskevych said after the CAS hearing that "still I know that I was innocent."

The decision to ban him drew a stinging response from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said on Thursday the "Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors".

- 'Quad God' -

The main focus of the sporting programme on Friday is the Milano Ice Skating Arena, where Malinin is favourite to top the podium in the men's figure skating singles for his second gold of the Games.

The 21-year-old, unbeaten over the past two years, has revolutionised his sport, injecting breathtaking energy and athleticism into his routines, which include backflips and gravity-defying quadruple jumps.

Malinin, the son of Olympic figure skaters who competed for Uzbekistan before emigrating to the US, leads Japan's Yuma Kagiyama after Tuesday's short programme.

Kagiyama and Adam Siao Him Fa of France are both within six points back of the "Quad God" ahead of the free skate.

Malinin, who won team gold earlier in the Games, is a two-time reigning world champion and winner of the past three Grand Prix Finals but he says the Olympics are another level.

"It felt different than any other competition," he said after the short programme. "Sometimes it still overwhelms you, and I definitely felt that in the team short programme."

- Going for gold -

In early action on Friday, Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Klaebo equalled the Winter Olympics record of eight gold medals by winning the men's individual 10 km time trial -- his third victory of the 2026 Games.

In Livigno, reigning world and X Games champion Scotty James of Australia will start as favourite in the men's snowboard half-pipe final.

The Australian has been a dominant force in the event over the past decade but has never won gold on the biggest stage, taking bronze at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and silver four years later in Beijing.

A clutch of four Japanese athletes were also among the 12 qualifiers for Friday's final under the lights in the Italian Alps, including reigning Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano.

"I've tasted it before," said James. "Getting an Olympic medal is an amazing achievement for any athlete.

"It's been really cool to do that. For sure, I wouldn't be honest if I said I wouldn't like to achieve the top spot."

G.AbuHamad--SF-PST