Olympic chiefs have got it badly wrong over Heraskevych ban and owe him an apology | Lizzy Yarnold

<p>As athletes we try to focus on our event and the task at hand, but our lives do not take place in a vacuum</p><p>I’m deeply saddened by the IOC <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/12/ukraine-vladyslav-heraskevych-disqualified-winter-olympics-skeleton-helmet-protest-war-deaths">banning the skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych</a> from the Winter Olympics. His helmet depicting images of athletes and children who died in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some who he knew personally, was a human display of remembrance. The IOC’s response was not an appropriate one.</p><p>One only needed to look at the image of Heraskevych’s father when he was told the news of his son’s disqualification – <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUpt_H7DL3n/?img_index=1">doubled over with his head in his hands</a> – to know the emotional toll. I cannot imagine what they are experiencing but, as both a former athlete and just a fan watching on, I also feel emotional about it and cried when Vlad and his dad messaged me on social media to say thank you for my messages of support.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/13/milano-cortina-olympic-chiefs-vladyslav-heraskevych-ban-winter-olympics-ukraine">Continue reading...</a>