Vladyslav Heraskevych was not allowed to compete in an event he was expected to medal in

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych will not be able to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games due to a disqualification imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Thursday’s competitions are underway at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Curling Snowboarding Skeleton Bobsleigh Freestyle Skiing Alpine Skiing Cross Country Skiing Biathlon

Winter Olympics: What is skeleton and how does it work? - Everything you need to know about Britain’s most successful winter sport

Britain's Matt Weston leads the Olympic skeleton after two heats after a major disqualification stunned the track.

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was banned by the IOC from competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday, Feb. 12 because of his insistence on racing in a helmet depicting athletes who have been killed during Russia's invasion of his country.

Ukrainian artist Iryna Prots, 52, who painted the helmet that led to skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych being barred from the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, says the tribute to over 20 athletes killed in Russia’s invasion had to be done.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "proud" of Vladylsav Heraskevych, adding, "Having courage is worth more than any medal."

Day 6 of the 2026 Milan Cortina Games featured nine medal events, but Team USA's Chloe Kim was denied a third straight gold. Kim finished with a silver as she came up just short of another Olympic victory in the halfpipe final.

The Winter Olympics bring sports we barely see outside of these few weeks. Many of them look exciting. Some of them look like a bad idea for normal people. A lot of these events mix speed, ice, height,