IOC Leaders Made a Mistake with Heraskevych's Disqualification and Should Apologize
Lizzi Yarnold strongly criticizes the IOC's decision to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych.
We try to focus on the competition and the task at hand, but our lives don't exist in a vacuum.
I'm deeply saddened by the decision to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympics. His helmet featured pictures of athletes and children killed in Russia's attack on Ukraine, some of whom he personally knew. The IOC's response was not adequate.
When Heraskevych's father found out about his son's disqualification, his photo showed him with his head in his hands and his elbow on his knee - it was clear how much emotional pain this was causing their family. As a former athlete and a fan watching this unfold, I felt a strong emotional response and cried when Vlad and his father thanked me on social media.