Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has slammed the International Olympic Committee for "play[ing] into the hands of aggressors" by banning skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych because he had photos of some of the 660 Ukrainian athletes murdered by Russia since Putin ordered an illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Zelenskyy's message [in full below] highlights various forms of IOC hypocrisy on Rule 50, a provision within the Olympic Charter that prohibits any kind of demonstration or political, religious, or racial propaganda at any Olympic sites, venues, or areas.

A fine moral stance - as long as everyone observes it, including every single IOC Member, without exception.

Here's one of those forms of hypocrisy that sprang to mind when the IOC issued the following o worldwide media, a short video clip in which Kirsty Coventry, IOC president, breaks down, shared by Heraskevych in this tweet:

That 'cynicism' comes at a price" loss of trust and support among athletes. Here's a fledgling trend in Milan: raising your helmet in support of Heraskevych and Ukraine in the face of Russia and the IOC's decision to include Russians on the principle of the very Rule 50 that some IOC members do not observe themselves:

Vlad Heraskevych, Pride of Ukraine & The Athlete Voice, Shines Light On IOC Rule-50 Hypocrisy

Vladyslav Heraskevych is out of the Winter Olympics for wearing a helmet depicting the images of Ukrainian athletes slaughtered by Russians acting on former Olympic Order recipient Putin’s murderous instructions, the mote in the IOC’s eye blindingly obvious

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Coventry's emotion was described in several media commentaries today as 'crocodile tears'. I understand why - and here are some of the reasons why:

Coventry may well be sincere but the IOC message falls flat on its face when we recall that just a few short days ago, in Milan, during the Games, the IOC boss at her first Games in that role, not to mention a string of other IOC and international federation leaders, were seen embracing a man called Gianni Infantino.

Remember him? He's the Italian bald-and-bold-as-brass head of FIFA, that organisation with more than its fair share of corruption and inappropriate politics in its annals. Recently, he was to be found on his knees brown-nosing a political leader of a major Olympic nation that is the host of the next football World Cup and is at the very heart of failed efforts to get Putin to negotiate peace with Ukraine. That‘s a process that must start with the required withdrawal from the sovereign nation the aggressors invaded.

No politics there then!

Infantino ought to have been greeted in Milan with the same courage-of-conviction message that the brave guardians of Olympic principles used to send Heraskevych crashing out of the Olympics, his shot at the podium lost forever.

Instead of those hugs and kisses for Gianni in Milan, the IOC should have declared:

"A medal for Trump? You fool! There has been no greater trashing of Rule 50 since swastikas swamped the five rings at Berlin 1936!"

So, where's the punishment, the ban, the warning, any form of penalty for Gianni Infantino in his role as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)?

And ahead of a more considered editorial tomorrow, here are many other forms of hypocrisy set out by Volodymyr Zelensky:

The tweet:

The message from the Ukrainian President in full:

Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors. Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise. This is certainly not about the principles of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace.

I thank our athlete for his clear stance. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honour and remembrance. It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rule has been broken.

It is Russia that constantly violates Olympic principles, using the period of the Olympic Games to wage war. In 2008, it was the war against Georgia; in 2014 – the occupation of Crimea; in 2022 – the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And now, in 2026, despite repeated calls for a ceasefire during the Winter Olympics, Russia shows complete disregard, increasing missile and drone strikes on our energy infrastructure and our people.

660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russia since the full-scale invasion began. Hundreds of our athletes will never again be able to take part in the Olympic Games or any other international competitions. And yet, 13 Russians are currently in Italy competing at the Olympics. They compete under “neutral” flags at the Games, while in real life publicly supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of our territories. And they are the ones who deserve disqualification.

We are proud of Vladyslav and of what he did. Having courage is worth more than any medal.