During the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with skeleton fighter Vladislav Geraskevych and awarded him the Order of Freedom.
Zelensky emphasized that while sporting successes are important, the most important thing is a person’s attitude. Addressing the athlete, he emphasized that character and personality are crucial today.
Geraskevych himself assured that his actions were not an attempt to break the rules. He emphasized that Ukraine does not intend to violate the rules or act contrary to values, but will consistently fight for its rights.
The athlete’s father and coach also attended the meeting and spoke about the significant support his son received from both the domestic and international community. The president noted that the public’s reaction showed that the athlete’s decisions were appropriate and met with understanding.
The case concerns Geraskevych’s disqualification from the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that the athlete’s helmet—which depicted images of Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia—violated the principle of political neutrality. The athlete appealed to an arbitration tribunal, but the appeal was rejected, and the IOC’s decision was upheld.
In Ukraine, the decision sparked an outpouring of solidarity with the athlete. Many fans and athletes publicly showed their support, emphasizing that his gesture was a tribute to the victims of the war, not a political demonstration.
Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Nowiny Wschodnie, a news platform followed by more than 140,000 people on social media. A graduate in Journalism and Social Communication, he has been co-creating and developing Nowiny Wschodnie since 2017. He gained professional experience working with local and international media.
He specializes in fact-checking, countering disinformation and propaganda, and information security. His work focuses on Poland, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and Polish-Ukrainian relations. He is also the founder of a non-profit organization working in the fields of integration and intercultural dialogue.