The IOC offered a compromise to Ukrainian Geraskevich before his disqualification from the Olympic Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) offered Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladislav Geraskevich several compromise options before disqualifying him from the Milan Olympics for a banned helmet. This was announced on February 12 by the press service of the committee.

"The IOC really wanted Mr. Geraskevich to participate in the competition. <...> Mr. Geraskevich had the opportunity to demonstrate his helmet during all training races. The IOC also offered him the opportunity to demonstrate it immediately after the competition, passing through the mixed zone," according to a press release on the IOC website.

In addition, the athlete was offered to wear a black armband during the starts. The IOC also recalled the existence of special commemoration sites in the Olympic Villages. Despite numerous negotiations and face-to-face meetings, including a conversation with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, Geraskevich refused all compromises, the committee notes.

The IOC stressed that the essence of the conflict about the helmet lies not in the message, but in the fact that the athlete wanted to express it at the Olympics.

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Earlier that day, the IOC disqualified Geraskevich for using a helmet with photos of dead athletes. It was noted that after checking the equipment, the IOC representatives met with Geraskevich and a delegation from the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee (NOC). Then the organizers of the Olympics offered the athlete alternative ways of self-expression, but he refused them.

The day before, IOC Communications Director Mark Adams said that the committee would follow the rules in the situation with the athlete's helmet. Prior to that, Geraskevich himself said that the IOC had warned athletes from Ukraine about the inadmissibility of protest actions against Russian participants at the Olympic Games.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.