Germany's Merz: disqualified Olympian's helmet symbolizes Ukraine's courage

BERLIN – Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday spoke about the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Milano Cortina Olympics, calling the helmet that led to his removal a symbol of national bravery.

“This helmet is a symbol of the Ukrainian people’s resistance and unwavering courage. It also represents the suffering caused by Russia’s barbaric war of aggression,” Merz said in a speech in Berlin.

Heraskevych was disqualified on February 12 after the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation ruled that his helmet, which depicted athletes killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, violated rules on political neutrality. The Court of Arbitration for Sport later rejected his appeal.

Merz did not directly comment on the disqualification itself.

-Reporting by Ludwig Burger and Andreas Rinke; editing by Linda Pasquini/Reuters