The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday, shortly before the competition, disqualified Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych, who refused to change his helmet depicting more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed in the war launched by Russia.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry was also present at the skeleton track.
The first run of the men’s skeleton competition is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m., and Latvian athlete Emīls Indriksons will also compete.
It has previously been reported that after the initial training sessions, the IOC prohibited Heraskevych from using the helmet featuring images of the fallen Ukrainians; however, the athlete continued to wear it on Wednesday. The IOC later announced that he would not be allowed to compete with that helmet but would be permitted to wear a black armband instead.
Thirteen athletes from the aggressor states Russia and Belarus are competing in the Olympic Games, having been granted so-called “neutral athlete” status by the IOC.