Ukrainian skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych, 27, was banned from the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday, just minutes before his event was due to begin, because he insisted on wearing a helmet covered with images of athletes killed by Russia’s invasion of his country.

Heraskevych said he accepted the ban as the “price of our dignity,” but he insisted his helmet did not actually violate the rules set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and he noted that other athletes have been allowed to express political opinions at the Winter Games.

“U.S. figure skater, Canadian freeskier, Israeli skeleton athlete who is also here today, they didn’t face the same things,” he said. “So suddenly, just a Ukrainian athlete in this Olympic Games will be disqualified for this helmet.”

In an interview on Thursday after the IOC announced its decision, Heraskevych said he felt “emptiness” because he was banned over “an interpretation of the rules which I do not agree with.”

“I was at many funerals when I was in Ukraine and it’s a truly terrible tragedy that young people at such a young age were killed for nothing. Because of their sacrifice, we’re able to be here today, and I want to honor them, and I want to honor their families,” he said.

The IOC said Heraskevych had been warned not to use his helmet, which is decorated with the faces of 21 Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia, but he “did not consider any form of compromise.”

“The IOC was very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete. This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the committee insisted.

The leftist publication New York Times (NYT) reported that both IOC President Kirsty Coventry and Heraskevych’s father were “in tears” after the meeting that ended with the ban.

“No one – no one, especially me – is disagreeing with the messaging. The messaging is a powerful message. It’s a message of remembrance. It’s a message of memory,” Coventry said.

“But this is literally about the rules and the regulations. And sadly, that just means no messaging is allowed,” she said.

Heraskevych said Coventry was “kind” to him, but he felt her decision was a “terrible mistake” that “plays along with Russian propaganda, and it does not look good.”

IOC spokesman Mark Adams defended the ban, saying that the Games would descend into “chaos” – and lose a large number of their competitors – if all athletes from nations in conflict were allowed to make political statements.

“If we start reflecting all of those conflicts in the world on the sporting field, there will be no sport. But the one thing we can do is to bring all of those different countries together, even when they are in conflict,” Adams said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the IOC for “playing into the hands of aggressors” by disqualifying Heraskevych.

“I thank our athlete for his clear stance. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honour and remembrance. It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rule has been broken,” Zelensky said.

“660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russia since the full-scale invasion began. Hundreds of our athletes will never again be able to take part in the Olympic Games or any other international competitions. And yet, 13 Russians are currently in Italy competing at the Olympics,” he noted.

“We are proud of Vladyslav and of what he did. Having courage is worth more than any medal,” the Ukrainian president concluded.

The skeleton is a high-speed sled whose pilots ride face-down. Heraskevych posted qualifying times that suggested he was a realistic contender for a medal in the event.

Heraskevych filed an appeal against the IOC decision on Thursday evening, on the grounds that his dismissal was “disproportionate, unsupported by any technical or safety violation and causes irreparable sporting harm.”

The IOC was reportedly planning to strip Heraskevych of his accreditation, which would have required him to leave the Olympic venue, but decided against taking that severe step. Heraskevych asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to either fully reinstate him as a competitor immediately, or at least allow him to make an official skeleton run under CAS supervision, so he would have a time to post for consideration if the court takes too long to reach a decision.