Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismisses Heraskevych’s lawsuit against IOC (updated)
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over his disqualification at the 2026 Olympic Games.
Censor.NET reported this, citing Suspilne Sport.
CAS ruling
The court issued its decision at 5:15 p.m. at local time: Heraskevych’s claim against the IOC and the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) was dismissed, the statement said.
"We confirm that freedom of expression is allowed at the Olympic Games, but not at the competition venue. The judge heard the arguments from both sides and issued a decision in line with the IOC guidelines," CAS Secretary General Matthieu Reeb said.
In addition, the IOC considers the awarding of an order to Heraskevych as evidence of political symbolism associated with the "memory helmet." Skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych wrote about this on his X page.
How the decision was explained
The IBSF disqualified Heraskevych over his "intention to wear a helmet bearing portraits of Ukrainian athletes who were killed in the war."
In the CAS decision, seen by Suspilne, the court acknowledged that "freedom of expression is guaranteed at the Olympic Games," but sided with the IOC and the IBSF, arguing that this was not about a "sporting venue or a playing field."
The CAS arbitrator described the rules proposed by the IOC to Heraskevych as "reasonable and proportionate" — namely, to draw attention to the issue in the mixed zone, at press conferences, on social media, and by wearing the helmet during training runs
The disqualification case at the 2026 Games
- Heraskevych was previously disqualified ahead of his first run at the 2026 Olympic Games. The reason was the athlete’s intention to compete wearing a "Remembrance helmet".
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On the eve of the event, the IOC banned the use of this piece of equipment. If he violated the ban, the Ukrainian athlete faced disqualification.
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The situation sparked an outcry in the sports community.
