Winter Olympics 2026: Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych reportedly given $200,000 gift after IOC DQ’d skeleton racer

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympic Games after refusing to stop wearing a commemorative helmet honoring more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed during Russia’s invasion. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that the helmet violated article 50.2 of the Olympic Charter regarding political or demonstration-related propaganda on Olympic sites, and his subsequent appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was denied. Despite the disqualification, Heraskevych received widespread support in his home country. Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov awarded him a $200,000 gift through his charity foundation—matching the financial reward given to Ukraine’s gold medalists—to help fund his continued skeleton career and his ongoing advocacy for Ukraine.