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The IOC has not yet publicly confirmed the announced decision, but the controversy has already provoked a strong response from Kyiv. Zelenskyy praised Heraskevych’s efforts to keep global attention on the conflict, writing on X: “Thank you to the flag bearer of our national team at the Winter Olympics, Vladyslav Heraskevych, for reminding the world of the price of our struggle.” He added that this message should not be dismissed as political. “This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate or called a ‘political demonstration at a sporting event’. It is a reminder to the whole world of what modern Russia is.”
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The debate comes at a time when Olympic rules under Article 50 restrict political gestures during competition, although athletes are free to express opinions in press conferences and online. Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi recently claimed that the Russian invasion had claimed the lives of “more than 650 athletes and coaches”.Heraskevych explained in the videos that the images on his helmet represent only a fraction of those lost, including Olympians and Youth Olympic medalists such as figure skater Dmytro Sharpar. Competing in his third Winter Games, he says his mission goes beyond sports.