Olympic scandal will have consequences: Zelensky announces sanctions
15 February 21:15
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced “sports sanctions” from Ukraine after the scandal surrounding the suspension of skeleton racer Vladislav Heraskevich from the Olympic Games.
This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Zelensky’s evening address.
Zelensky announced that a document has already been prepared on a package of sanctions against “Russian individuals” who “work for the war and put sport at the service of war.”
“This Ukrainian sanctions package should be a signal to everyone in the world. A signal that you cannot just turn a blind eye to support for aggression. When Ukrainians at the Olympics are forbidden to even mention the victims of Russian aggression, this is definitely a global setback for justice,” he said.
Zelensky promised that Ukraine would restore justice and reiterated that the sanctions document was already ready.
Why Geraskevich was disqualified
As a reminder, Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the 2026 Olympics 45 minutes before the start of the competition. The reason was his helmet, which featured images of deceased Ukrainian athletes.
The International Olympic Committee stated that the equipment allegedly did not comply with the principles of the Olympic Charter regarding the neutrality of equipment and the prohibition of political or other messages during competitions.
After his disqualification, Heraskevych appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The hearing took place on February 13, but the court rejected the Ukrainian’s appeal, agreeing with the IOC’s decision.
On February 14, Zelensky met with Vladislav Heraskevich and his father, Ukrainian skeleton team coach Mykhailo Heraskevich, in Munich. The president awarded the athlete the Order of Freedom and thanked him for his principled position.
