Neutrality Or Silence? Kirsty Coventry Faces Fire After Ukrainian Athlete Gets Disqualified

Last Updated:February 13, 2026, 09:09 IST

Kirsty Coventry faces a major test as IOC president after Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified for a helmet tribute, sparking a legal appeal.

Nobody can keep politics out of sport. And funnily enough, out of all people, Kirsty Coventry had to learn it the hard way.

Just months into her presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Coventry has been handed a defining test at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

The disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych has thrust her into a geopolitical storm that cuts to the heart of the Olympic movement’s claim of neutrality.

Heraskevych was barred from competing after refusing to remove a helmet featuring images of Ukrainian sportsmen and women killed since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

The helmet was deemed a breach of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits “political propaganda" at competition venues, in the Athletes’ Village and during medal ceremonies.

Coventry personally travelled to Cortina d’Ampezzo to persuade him not to wear it.

“I was not speaking to him in that room as a president. I’m speaking to him as an athlete. I really wanted to see him race today," she said, visibly emotional.

Rule 50 Under Strain

The IOC insists Rule 50 was reinforced in 2021 following a broad athlete consultation led by its Athletes’ Commission — then headed by Coventry herself.

Officials offered compromises: a plain black armband instead of the helmet; full freedom to express his views in the mixed zone and at press conferences.

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

“In this case, in the field of play, we have to be able to keep a safe environment for everyone. And sadly, that just means no messaging is allowed."

Heraskevych, though, stood firm — understandably and deservedly.

“I did not break any rule," he said.

Fallout and Appeal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the IOC of playing “into the hands of aggressors." Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi confirmed Ukraine would pursue legal avenues, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport later confirmed an appeal had been lodged.

(with agency inputs)

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