Milan — Olympic officials will not allow Ukrainian skeleton Vladyslav Heraskevych to wear a helmet emblazoned with images of some of his fellow Ukrainian athletes who died in Russia’s war against his country when competing in Winter Games 2026 in Italy, according to the International Olympic Committee’s letter to the Ukrainian Olympic delegation.

It’s “a decision that just breaks my heart,” Heraskevych said posting on social networks overnight. “The feeling that the IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, not allowing them to be honored in a sports arena where these athletes will never be able to set foot again, despite precedents in modern times and the past when the IOC allowed such honors. This time they decided to set special rules only for Ukraine.”

In a letter from the IOC, shared by the Ukrainian Olympic team with CBS News, the committee said, “Unfortunately, today’s world is divided and full of conflict and tragedy. The IOC has been concerned from the beginning with the situation in Ukrainian sports following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The IOC fully understands the desire of athletes to remember their friends who lost their lives as a result of the many conflicts around the world.”

The IOC said, however, that “the focus of the Olympic Games must remain on the performances of the athletes, sport and the international unity and harmony that the Olympic Games seek to promote. It is a fundamental principle, equally applied to all delegations and athletes, that sport at the Olympic Games must be separated from political, religious or any other kind of interference.”

It said Heraskevych “like all other athletes, will not be able to compete with a personalized helmet (the kind he used in training and posted on social media) … In this regard, the IOC is willing to make an exception to the Guidelines in this particular case if the athlete wishes to honor his fellow athletes and express his grief by wearing a black armband or ribbon without any personalization.”

Heraskevych previously said on social media that many of those depicted on his helmet were athletes, some of whom were killed while defending Ukraine and others from Russian shelling.

“Among them are representatives of summer sports and winter sports. Among them are Olympians – members of the so-called Olympic family,”

Heraskevych said the helmet featured his national team colleague Dmytro Sharper, as well as youth Olympic medalist boxer Maksym Halinichev. He also said that numerous children and people who supported veteran sports were shown.

“I will compete for them,” Heraskevych said.

“On his helmet are portraits of our athletes who were killed by Russia. Figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, who died in the battles near Bakhmut, 19-year-old biathlete Yevhen Malyshev, who was killed by the occupiers near Kharkiv, and other athletes who lost their lives in the Russian war,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday morning.

“I thank Vladislav Heraskevich, the flag bearer of our team at the Winter Olympics, for reminding the world of the cost of our struggle. This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate or called ‘political action at sports events,'” Zelenskyy said. “It’s a reminder to the whole world of what modern Russia is. And it’s what reminds everyone of the global role of sports and the historic mission of the Olympic movement as such. It’s all about peace and for the good of life. Ukraine is true to that. Russia is proving the opposite.”