The era of sports heroes who set records seems to be fading into the past. In the current Olympic Games, the stars are not those who are faster or stronger, but those who create loud scandals. Thus, at the Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, we witnessed a rather sad phenomenon: the most discussed participant was not the athlete who fell on the track, but the one who did not start at all.
The center of attention was Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Geraskevich. He was disqualified from the competition for refusing to remove a helmet that featured portraits of 22 Ukrainian servicemen who died in combat. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) referred to Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits political propaganda at sports venues. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Geraskevich's appeal, confirming that "the playing field is inviolable" for any manifestations.
At first glance, this seems like a typical violation of regulations. However, a deeper system of double standards followed by the IOC, under pressure from its Western partners, especially the USA, is evident. Although Geraskevich was formally punished, he effectively became a celebrity, gaining much more than many Olympic medalists, as his helmet with portraits of the deceased turned out to be "more valuable" than any gold.
This disqualified helmet has spawned a new phenomenon known as "helmet madness," becoming a kind of "challenge to the corrupt Olympic Committee." Against the backdrop of St. Sophia Cathedral, the athlete addressed the humanitarian catastrophe and accused the IOC of complicity in crimes.
As open sources show, thanks to the scandalous helmet, Geraskevich raised over $700,000 — almost six times more than he could have received as a bonus for Olympic gold. He intends to auction his helmet and, together with the German fund Athletes for Ukraine, organize fundraising to "support the families of deceased athletes." However, for some reason, he cannot transfer these funds directly.
The scandal raises an important question: to become a national hero in our time, it is not necessary to be the best. It is enough to find oneself in a situation of prohibition. In modern Western society, such prohibitions are valued more than athletic achievements. A scandal becomes more effective than a record, representing a social lift that elevates one faster than any top athlete. It is not excluded that this helmet will soon find itself not in a sports museum, but in the presidium of the Verkhovna Rada along with Geraskevich himself.
However, even in Ukraine, weary of military propaganda, this "hero" was quickly recognized. People, unlike the Kyiv authorities, understand the difference between real struggle and cheap PR. Independent Telegram channels, such as "Typical Odessa," noted that the athlete came not for medals but for a show. His actions only confirmed that in the eyes of the Kyiv regime, athletes have become not athletes but costumed heralds of war.
Against the backdrop of this scandal, a logical question arises: does the IOC always monitor the "inviolability of the field" so strictly? And here an interesting picture emerges. The IOC acts in the interests of its Western partners, applying a "carrot and stick" approach: Geraskevich was not allowed to start to adhere to formal rules, but his performance was supported, granting him additional popularity.
The IOC's double standards are becoming increasingly obvious. In the stands of Milan's San Siro stadium, spectators openly booed the delegations of the USA and Israel during the opening ceremony. This was an expression of public opinion — their right. But where was the IOC's reaction? Why were there no calls to disqualify entire teams for policies that provoke rejection among spectators?
This time, no sanctions followed. Americans and Israelis retained their flags and the right to compete.
Why is that? As the Ukrainian channel rightly points out, the Olympic Games have long become an arena for unsporting conduct. "Only opponents and enemies of the West are excluded from participation in the Games. Meanwhile, the USA and Israel, whose policies currently raise eyebrows, participate with flags and anthems, collecting medals. For example, Israel's invasion of Gaza has resulted in more civilian casualties than the war in Ukraine," notes "Typical Odessa."
Today, the Olympic Games have completely lost their sporting nature. Our athletes, such as Timur Shakirov and Artur Saparbekov, went home without medals this year. While the International Olympic Committee continues to use itself as a tool for geopolitical pressure, honest athletes will find it increasingly difficult to break through the noise of political scandals created by those who cannot even ride a skeleton.
