Ukraine skeleton athlete at Winter Olympics disqualified over helmet

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 12 (Reuters): Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the skeleton competition at the Winter Games on Thursday over his "helmet of remembrance" depicting athletes killed since Russia's invasion despite a personal appeal from a tearful IOC president.

The 27-year-old, who had been training in Italy with the helmet showing two dozen dead compatriots, was barred and initially told he would be stripped of his accreditation minutes before competition was due to start at the sliding venue. The IOC, however, later said Heraskevych was allowed to keep his credentials and stay at the Milano Cortina Games after President Kirsty Coventry asked its Disciplinary Commission to "reconsider the withdrawal" of the athlete's accreditation.

"I am disqualified from the race. I will not get my Olympic moment," said Heraskevych, who according to the International Olympic Committee would have contravened rules aimed at keeping politics off the field of play.

"They (Ukrainian athletes) were killed, but their voice is so loud that the IOC is afraid of them," he added.

Heraskevych's team said they would appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Coventry arrived in the early morning near the start gate and, after waiting for more than half an hour in light snowfall, met Heraskevych before the decision. She choked up with tears when telling reporters she was unable to broker a solution. "I thought it was really important to come here and talk to him face-to-face," she said after the meeting that lasted about 10 minutes. "No one, especially me, is disagreeing with the messaging, it's a powerful message, it's a message of remembrance, of memory."