This Ukrainian Luger Protested The Olympics Banning Her Teammate’s Helmet Honoring Killed Athletes
After her race on Tuesday, Feb. 10, Smaha lifted her left hand to the camera to display the words “Remembrance is not a violation” written on her glove.
Ukrainian luger Olena Smaha has shown support for fellow Ukrainian skeleton racer, Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was banned by the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics from wearing a helmet that paid tribute to Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
During the training session in Cortina on Monday, Feb. 9, Heraskevych had sported a helmet with photos of killed Ukrainian athletes, including teenage weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ischenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, actor and athlete Ivan Kononenko, diving athlete and coach Mykyta Kozubenko, shooter Oleksiy Habarov and dancer Daria Kurdel.
Heraskevych said that many of the athletes on his “memory helmet” were his friends.
However, Heraskevych later said that he was informed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that he was banned from using his helmet at official training sessions and competitions because of Olympic rules prohibit any form of political, religious or racial propaganda at the Olympics.
He criticized the IOC’s decision, arguing that Israeli athlete, Jared Firestone, wore a kippah with names of the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches murdered at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
After her race on Tuesday, Feb. 10, Smaha lifted her left hand to the camera to display the words “Remembrance is not a violation” written on her glove.
Heraskevych had planned to continue racing with the helmet, but was ultimately disqualified from competing by the IOC on Thursday, Feb. 12.
Steph Lu
Selina Wu
