A Ukrainian skeleton athlete has vowed to continue wearing a helmet that depicts images of compatriots killed since the Russian invasion in 2022 as a 'matter of principle' after defying a ban.

Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was nation’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony last week, trained in the evocative helmet on Monday, disclosing that ‘some of them were my friends’. 

He later revealed he had been visited by an International Olympic Committee official, who informed him that he is in breach of Games rules around political statements.

Heraskevych defied Olympic bosses by wearing the helmet again in his second training run on Tuesday and remained insistent that he has not broken any rules.

‘Today in this very helmet, I participated in my second official training session. For me this is a matter of principle,' Heraskevych said in a video posted on social media.

‘I firmly believe we have not violated any IOC rules. The so-called Rule 50. It explicitly stats that political propaganda, discriminatory propaganda and racial propaganda are prohibited. I don’t see any of that on our helmet, so we will fight to the end.

‘They fought for us to the end, for you and me, and it’s thanks to their sacrifice that we are able to compete in these Olympic Games today. And I firmly believe these Olympic Games can even take place because of their sacrifice, otherwise this war would have reached Europe long ago.’

Heraskevych, in his statement, claimed American athletes who 'staged political demonstrations in arenas' and an Italian snowboarder who had a Russian flag on his helmet have avoided IOC sanctions.

His comment appears to refer to British skier Gus Kenworthy, who formerly competed for the US, after he launched a graphic attack on US immigration officials by claiming to have urinated the words 'f*** ice' in the snow. An IOC statement to Daily Mail Sport suggested Kenworthy would face no action. 

Italian snowboarder Roland Fischnaller competed on Sunday in a helmet featuring national flags of the hosts of seven Winter Olympics he has competed in, with Russia included, representing Sochi 2014. 

Heraskevych had previously taken to Instagram to reveal that the IOC had banned his helmet. 

‘The IOC has banned the use of my helmet at official training sessions and competitions,’ Heraskevych said.

‘A decision that simply breaks my heart. The feeling that the IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, not allowing them to be honoured on the sports arena where these athletes will never be able to step again.

‘Despite precedents in modern times and in the past when the IOC allowed such tributes, this time they decided to set special rules just for Ukraine.’

Heraskevych’s helmet shows the teenage weightlifter Alina Perehudova, powerlifter Pavlo Ischenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, actor and athlete Ivan Kononenko, diving athlete and coach Mykyta Kozubenko, shooter Oleksiy Habarov and dancer Daria Kurdel.

Legendary Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, a multiple heavyweight world champion, offered his backing to Heraskevych in a post on social media and accused the IOC of hypocrisy.

'The Olympic Committee (IOC) doesn’t want you to see this. So, here it is: a helmet honoring Ukrainian Olympic athletes killed defending their country against the barbarian russian invasion that is now entering its fifth year,' he wrote.

'The Olympic Games have always been Political Games. In 2022 Olympics, China asked putin to wait until its Games were over before invading Ukraine. So let’s stop the hypocrisy.'

The Ukrainians have appealed against the helmet ban, but on Tuesday the IOC pointed to rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states: ‘No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.’

They have instead allowed Heraskevych to race in a black armband and will not object to him speaking out in press conferences.

Heraskevych has previously used the Games environment to protest against the invasion, which included holding a ‘No War In Ukraine’ sign at Beijing 2022, just days before the Russian offensive began.

The 26-year-old reposted that image on X on Tuesday, with the comment: ‘Four years ago at the 2022 Olympic Games. Unfortunately, over these years this call for peace has only become even more relevant.

‘Also over these four years, the IOC has changed dramatically. Back then, in that action, they saw a call for peace and did not apply any sanctions against me. Now, at the Olympics, we have already seen a large number of Russian flags in the stands, on the helmet of one of the athletes - and for the IOC, this is not a violation.

‘Yet a violation was found in the “helmet of memory”, which pays tribute to members of the Ukrainian sports family who have been killed since the last Olympic Games were held. The truth is on our side. I hope for a fair final decision from the IOC.’

The IOC has already come under the microscope here for what has been interpreted as softening stance on Russia, with IOC president Kirsty Coventry hinting that they could soon have their exile lifted. At these Games, there are 13 Russians and seven Belarussians competing as ‘neutral’ athletes.

The advocacy group Global Athlete posted an open letter on Monday to criticise the IOC’s position on Russia. 

They wrote: ‘Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has only intensified since 2022. The fact that the IOC is easing restrictions against Russia suggests that even under the new presidency of Kirsty Coventry, it remains influenced by the very political forces it claims to stand apart from.’