Latvian Luge Squad Shows Solidarity With Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych After Controversial Disqualification

Latvia missed out on a medal, finishing fourth behind Germany, Austria, and Italy who came first, second, and third respectively in the luge team relay.

Latvian Luge Squad Shows Solidarity With Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych After Controversial Disqualification

The Latvan luge team raised their helmets in front of the cameras in support of Vladyslav Heraskevych (Image via BBC, Screengrab via DW)

In Short
  • Latvian luge teams expressed solidarity with Ukrainian racer Vladyslav Heraskevych after his disqualification over a helmet of remembrance.
  • The International Olympic Committee banned Heraskevych's helmet, citing violation of the Athletes' Expression Guidelines.
  • Latvian coach Ivo Steinbergs confirmed a protest was filed for Heraskevych's reinstatement, highlighting the emotional impact of the decision.

The Latvian luge teams condemned the International Olympic Committee’s decision to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer, Vladyslav Heraskevych, over his helmet of remembrance. In the aftermath of their historic team relay final performance, the Latvian team raised their helmets in solidarity with Heraskevych.

Heraskevych, Ukraine’s first skeleton racer to qualify for the Olympics, debuted a helmet with the images of the fallen athletes in the Russian invasion of Ukraine in official training sessions. However, the International Olympic Committee banned the helmet for competition, citing the Athletes’ Expression Guidelines of the Olympic Charter. He was eventually disqualified after planning to go ahead and use the helmet on the tracks, sparking outrage.

Earlier, Latvian skeleton coach Ivo Steinbergs told Reuters that the Latvian federation has sent a protest to the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) requesting Heraskevych’s reinstatement.

And that was the end of his Olympics. He was going for this for 12 years, and they just stole it from him.

Heraskevych has moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, where he had his first meeting earlier today.

In the team relay, Germany continued their dominance in the sport with their fourth consecutive gold medal. The Austrians finished second, and the Italians completed the podium, bringing the luge events at the Winter Olympics 2026 to a close. The Germans are once again the best nation in the sport with 3 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze.

The Latvians finished fourth behind the Italians, just 0.228 separating them and the bronze medalists. Kristers Aparjods, who was part of the Latvian team that won bronze four years ago in Beijing, said that he was sending a message to the world. He affirmed that Latvia, as a nation, has stood with Ukraine. Aparjods told the media:

We are very good friends with Vlad also outside of sport… You saw that I raised my helmet – I wanted to send a message to the sports world. In my hands is a helmet. I think it’s clear to everyone what that means at this moment. I want the entire Latvian nation and the world to know that in these difficult times we are with Ukraine. We were, we are, and we will be. We are with Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!

Aparjods’ teammate, Roberts Plume, added that they will continue to support the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians came sixth with almost four minutes behind the Germans. They also took a stand against the IOC’s controversial disqualification of Herakevych by taking one knee and holding the helmets in the air.

Herakevych gets support from skeleton gold medalist Lizzy Yarnold and the Johansen family

Apart from the Latvian team, Vladyslav Heraskevych has received support from multiple members of the sliding community. Lizzy Yarnold, two-time skeleton gold medalist, criticised the decision by the International Olympic Committee.

Vladyslav Heraskevych
Vladyslav Heraskevych (Images via NBC News)

Yarnold, who’s the only skeleton racer with two or more golds to their name, admitted that the decision was quite shocking for everyone in the sliding community. Yarnold told the BBC:

I think it is actually quite shocking. Within the sliding community, there is shock and confusion. This [wearing the helmet] was a reaction to something which was an act of memorial and incredibly emotionally important to him. I think the IOC owe him an apology, and this was the wrong decision.

Tom Johansen, coach of Denmark’s skeleton team, said it was unreasonable to expect a Ukrainian athlete to set aside the realities of war during the Olympics and “simply perform like a robot.”

His son, Rasmus Vestergaard Johansen, a racer and friend of Heraskevych, added that Heraskevych carried the memories of young lives lost too soon. He added that no “athlete, any people, should go through what Ukraine and what Vlad have gone through“.

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