Scandal at the Olympic Games is gaining momentum. Oleksandr Usyk backs Ukrainian skeleton racer after disqualification
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
World heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has publicly come to the defense of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych.
Details: The boxer sharply condemned the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to disqualify the athlete over his “helmet of remembrance” featuring portraits of athletes killed in the war.
Usyk emphasized that Vladyslav’s action was a display of the highest level of humanity, not a political gesture as Olympic officials are trying to portray it.
“I am proud of you, your courage and bravery. The helmet with portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes is a tribute, not a violation of the rules! Sport does not mean forgetting. True strength is having the courage to remain human even in the most difficult times,” the champion declared.
To recap, Vladyslav Heraskevych was banned from participating in the Winter Olympics because of his helmet design, which features photographs of 24 Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia during the full-scale invasion. The IOC considered this a violation of the rules on political neutrality.
Reminder: Renowned journalist Piers Morgan slammed the IOC for disqualifying Vladyslav Heraskevych from the 2026 Olympic Games.
