Statement by IOC President Kirsty Coventry following her meeting with Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych

This morning, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry met with Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych. They held a very respectful conversation.

After the meeting, President Coventry spoke to the media and stated:

“I felt it was really important to come and speak with him face to face.

The athletes asked us to keep certain areas — the field of play, the podium and the Olympic Village — as safe spaces. How could we keep them safe so that athletes would not be asked to use the field of play or the podium for something they did not agree with?

No one, no one — and certainly not me — disagrees with the message. It is a powerful message. It is a message of remembrance. It is a message of memory.

It is not about the message; it is literally about the rules and regulations. In this case, we must keep the field of play as a safe environment for everyone. And unfortunately, that means no messages are allowed.

We could have found ways to pay tribute to his message, to his helmet, before he competed. And unfortunately, we were not able to find that solution.

We have these rules in place to try to be fair and also to allow us to do both: to allow athletes to express themselves, but also to ensure that they are safe.

In that room, I was not speaking to him as President. I was speaking to him as an athlete. I was really looking forward to seeing him compete today.”

Exceptionally, following a very respectful conversation with the athlete, Coventry requested that the Chair of the IOC Disciplinary Commission (DC) reconsider the withdrawal of Vladyslav Heraskevych’s accreditation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The Chair of the IOC DC agreed to the request, meaning that Mr. Heraskevych will be able to continue participating in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, although he will not be permitted to compete.