The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is dedicated to ensuring that no political messages appear in Olympic competitions, and this has led to the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Heraskevičs. He intended to compete wearing a helmet that honored over 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who were killed in the Russian invasion, claiming that his message was not meant to be political. However, the IOC maintains that allowing political statements would lead to chaos since there are over 130 conflicts worldwide that athletes could represent in their protests.

Despite the intentions behind Heraskevičs's helmet design, the IOC's officials argue that it conflicts with the principles of the Olympic Charter, which seeks to promote neutrality and avoid politicization. They pointed out that letting each athlete protest against their cause would inevitably result in numerous messages on the competition stage, compromising the Olympic values. The IOC, however, has faced criticism regarding its past enforcement of these rules, as seen in the case of a breakdancer disqualified from the 2024 Paris Games for promoting the slogan "Freedom for Afghan Women!" while her message, unlike Heraskevičs's, was politically charged.

The overarching controversy raises questions regarding the consistency and fairness of the IOC's approach to political expression in sports. As the 2024 Paris Olympics approaches, the situation highlights the delicate balance between freedom of expression for athletes and adherence to Olympic rules. Whether the IOC can truly separate politics from sport remains a significant issue, as instances like this one bring to light the ongoing debate over athletes' rights to express their views in contexts tied to their national identity and current events.