A controversy has emerged at the Winter Olympics surrounding Ukrainian slider Vladislav Heraskevych, who was disqualified for wearing a helmet that pays tribute to fellow athletes killed since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Heraskevych's participation in the men's skeleton event in Milan-Cortina was barred earlier this week after he declined to remove the helmet, and his subsequent appeal was rejected on Friday.

The helmet features images of several athletes, including teenage weightlifter Alina Peregudova, boxer Pavlo Ishchenko, and ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, some of whom were reportedly friends of Heraskevych.

In total, more than 20 athletes are depicted on the helmet, each with their own story.

Androschuk, a young athlete, lost his life in January 2023 while fighting in the Bakhmut area of eastern Ukraine, just a few years after his 22nd birthday.

He had represented Ukraine in international decathlon and pentathlon competitions, showcasing his athletic prowess.

Initially, Androschuk had aspirations to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris or the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, but injuries led him to join the army in 2022, as reported by the New York Times.

According to Oleksiy Kasyanov, the general secretary of Ukraine's track and field federation, Androschuk's decision to join the army was driven by his sense of duty, with Kasyanov stating, "It was his dream."

Bakhur, a 17-year-old national kickboxing champion, was killed in 2023 during Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region of north-eastern Ukraine.

She had competed at both national and international levels, representing Ukraine with distinction.

Bakhur's life was cut short when she suffered fatal shrapnel wounds while seeking shelter in the city of Berestyn, just weeks before her 18th birthday.

Her coach, Volodymyr Zibarov, remembered Bakhur as an athlete with "enormous potential," whose life was tragically cut short.

In an interview with Ukrainian newspaper Pravda, Zibarov recounted the circumstances of Bakhur's death, saying, "We were supposed to leave for the World Cup in Austria… a Russian missile took Karyna from us one day earlier."

Diachenko, an 11-year-old gymnast, died in March 2022 in the south-eastern city of Mariupol, as reported by the memorial website Angels of Sport.

She was killed instantly, along with her father, when a Russian air strike hit their home, while her mother and brother were injured and later died in a hospital that was also hit by an air strike.

Halinichev lost his life in 2023 in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian news outlet Tribuna, Halinichev had chosen to volunteer as a soldier in 2022, rather than participate in a European boxing championship.

In an interview with Voice of America, one of Halinichev's coaches recalled that the athlete had been deeply affected by the destruction caused by the war, feeling compelled to take up arms.

Halinichev had expressed his motivation for fighting, saying, "I have a little child, and I don't want her to live in occupation among the aggressor, among the Russians," as quoted by another coach.

Tribuna reported that Halinichev was injured twice during the conflict but continued to fight until his death.

He had achieved notable success in his athletic career, winning silver medals at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and the 2021 European U22 Championships.

Ishchenko, a four-time strongman champion and former Ukrainian powerlifting champion from Kyiv, was also a coach who mentored young athletes.

He was remembered by Ukrainian outlet Sport.ua as a role model who inspired new generations of athletes with his resilience, courage, and dedication to sport and country.

Ishchenko lost his life on the front lines in 2023.

His legacy continues to inspire athletes in Ukraine.

Ivashko, a nine-year-old judo enthusiast, was killed in June 2023 while attempting to shelter from Russian air strikes in Kyiv, along with her mother.

The Ukrainian Judo Federation's president, Mykhailo Koshlyak, described Ivashko's death as "painful for the entire Ukrainian judo family."

Khabarov, a 31-year-old athlete, was a prominent figure in Ukrainian national shooting sports for over a decade, according to the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).

Throughout his career, he had set multiple national records and won national championships.

In 2023, Khabarov joined the army and lost his life in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

ISSF president Luciano Rossi paid tribute to Khabarov, stating, "He was an elite athlete who paused his career to defend his country, and will forever be in the hearts and memories of the Ukrainian people."

Kononenko was a competitive strongman and actor who appeared in popular Ukrainian TV programs.

He joined the front lines in February 2022 and suffered a severe injury by November, as reported by Pravda.

Kononenko designed his own rehabilitation program, which he shared on social media, before returning to fight on the front lines, where he became a senior lieutenant and commander of a rifle platoon.

Contact with Kononenko was lost during a combat mission in February last year, and he has since been considered missing in action, with a funeral held for him in December.

Kozubenko, a 31-year-old diver and coach from Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, died in combat last year.

The Ukrainian Sports Committee acknowledged Kozubenko's sacrifice, stating, "In the country's most difficult time, Kozubenko took up arms to defend his native land."

His death was a loss for the Ukrainian sports community.

Kurdel, a 20-year-old dancer, was killed in July 2022 during a Russian air attack in the central city of Kryvyi Rih.

She was training at a sports ground with her father when the attack occurred, resulting in injuries to her parents, who survived.

Prior to her passing, Kurdel achieved success in numerous international dance competitions, earning recognition for her talents.

Between 2006 and 2016, Kutsenko represented Ukraine in European and World track cycling championships, showcasing his skills as a champion athlete.

The 34-year-old, who had been residing in Italy with his family, returned to Ukraine following the full-scale invasion to enlist in the army.

Regional officials reported that he lost his life in 2024 during a combat operation.

A Russian missile strike on a Dnipro high-rise building in 2023 resulted in the death of 15-year-old Lebid.

Lebid held the position of president of her school's student council and was also an avid ballroom dancer.

As stated in her student council election campaign, Lebid described herself as a 15-year-old with a music education, a passion for learning English, and a hobby of cultivating houseplants, highlighting her determination, friendliness, and strong work ethic.

Loginov, the former goalkeeper of Ukraine's professional ice hockey team Bilyi Bars, had a notable athletic career.

Loginov's life was cut short at the age of 23 in the Luhansk region in 2023.

Malyshev, 19, lost his life on the front lines in Kharkiv.

He had previously competed in the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a biathlete.

Malyshev was posthumously honored with an Order For Courage in 2022.

Peregudova, 14, was killed in March 2022 during Russian shelling of Mariupol.

According to Pravda, Peregudova and her mother were fatally injured shortly after leaving their house when an explosion occurred, and her brother was subsequently shot by a Russian sniper.

Peregudova was a promising young athlete, having been a candidate for the Ukrainian national weightlifting team and preparing to participate in a European Championship.

Polischchuk was a track and field athlete specializing in the high jump.

He enlisted in Ukraine's armed forces shortly after the full-scale invasion began and died in March 2023.

Sharpar, a 25-year-old figure skater, lost his life near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine in 2023.

Originally from Kharkiv, Sharpar won a silver medal at the Ukrainian Championships in 2016 and participated in the Youth Winter Olympics in Norway the same year.

After retiring from professional figure skating, Sharpar went on to perform in ice shows.

Shpuk joined the Ukrainian army in 2014 as part of a volunteer battalion.

He later became involved in veteran sports and coached the Ukrainian team at the Invictus Games.

Following Russia's full-scale invasion, Shpuk rejoined the army and died in November 2023.

Troyan, a 32-year-old former professional athlete, died in June 2025 in the Pokrovsk area of eastern Ukraine after sustaining injuries during a combat mission.

In addition to her athletic career, Troyan worked as a programmer and journalist at an international IT company before enlisting in the army in 2024.

According to Angels of Sport, Troyan operated drones in over 1,000 combat missions.

Yaramenko was a member of Ukraine's national Greco-Roman wrestling team.

He died just days shy of his 26th birthday in December.

Yaramenko had aspirations of becoming a coach and had pursued a master's degree in physical culture and sports, as reported by Angels of Sport.

Yaramenko lost his life during a combat mission.

Those who knew him described Yaramenko as a person with a strong sense of justice, inner balance, and a kind heart, according to Angels of Sport.

Yepifanov, a national fencing champion in Ukraine, put his athletic career on hold to fight on the front lines.

At the age of 18, Yepifanov enlisted in the army during the initial days of the full-scale invasion and died in 2023.

Zui, 13, was an enthusiastic young athlete who enjoyed boxing and football, playing the latter for a local team in Mariupol.

Zui's life was tragically cut short in March 2022 when a Russian air strike hit the high-rise building where his family was seeking shelter, resulting in the loss of his parents as well.