Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was kicked out of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over a helmet honouring Ukraine’s war dead, has appealed the decision.

On Thursday, Heraskevych was disqualified and had his accreditation tag withdrawn minutes before the men’s skeleton event was scheduled to start after he refused to back out of wearing a helmet that bears the portraits of Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since Russia’s invasion of the country.

The IOC argued that Heraskevych failed to “comply with the IOC’s Guidelines on Athlete Expression,” adding that the decision “was taken by the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton.”

This immediately sparked widespread public condemnation, including from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said the decision “played into the hands of aggressors.”

Subsequently, Heraskevych filed an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which heard the case of the 27-year-old during a two-and-a-half-minute session on Friday.

The sports panel has yet to rule on the matter as of press time.

Speaking after emerging from the hearing, the slider, who was expected to be a medal contender, said he was happy to have had the opportunity to present his case before the arbitration.

He noted that the session went well and expressed optimism about winning the case.

“I’m really thankful for the opportunity to speak, and we were treated equally in the hearing room, and arguments were heard,” Heraskevych said. “We are waiting for the decisions, but as you see, I look pretty happy, so I’m pretty positive about how it went. I hope truth will prevail, and still I know that I was innocent.”

Meanwhile, Mark Adams, the spokesperson for the IOC, stated, “Speculation on the outcome of the court case at this stage is not very helpful. We will do whatever we can, whatever the result is, but I think we have to wait for this result.”