IOC president in tears after Ukrainian athlete’s disqualification PHOTO

IOC President Kirsty Coventry could not hold back tears after meeting Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was barred from competition for wearing a helmet honouring 20 Ukrainian athletes killed in the war.

The International Olympic Committee ruled that the display violated Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits political, religious, or personal demonstrations in competition areas, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry met personally with the athlete in an effort to find a compromise. 

“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, and no one is disagreeing with that,” she said. According to Coventry, the issue was not the content itself, but where it was displayed.

“The challenge that we are facing is that we wanted to ask or come up with a solution for just the field of play,” Coventry explained with a trembling voice, adding that they were unable to find that solution.

She admitted she had hoped to see Heraskevych at the starting line, describing the situation as “an emotional morning.”  The IOC suggested that the athlete display the “helmet of remembrance” before and after his run, while wearing a black armband during the competition.

A reaction from the athlete’s father to his son’s disqualification over what supporters describe as a principled stance has also circulated widely online.

By Jeyhun Aghazada