Winter Olympics: Athlete shows signal calling for ‘No War in Ukraine’

A Ukrainian skeleton athlete flashed a small signal that learn “No War in Ukraine” to the cameras as he completed a run on the Beijing Olympics on Friday evening.
Vladyslav Heraskevych’s signal was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper, matching the colours of his nation’s flag.

Ukrainian slider Vladyslav Heraskevych unveils an indication saying NO WAR IN UKRAINE after warmth three of the lads’s skeleton race on the Beijing Winter Olympics pic.twitter.com/VCvYzDcjBK
— Rob Maul (@Rob_Maul) February 11, 2022

And we now have ourselves a press release: Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych makes his views recognized after his third run within the males’s skeleton. pic.twitter.com/VR6T9F5xMY
— Mark Dreyer (@DreyerChina) February 11, 2022
The gesture comes as Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops close to Ukraine, stoking fears within the West that Moscow is planning an invasion. Russia insists it has no such plans however doesn’t need Ukraine and different former Soviet international locations to be allowed to hitch the western NATO alliance.
It is feasible that the International Olympic Committee may take into account Heraskevych’s act a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter. That rule, partly, states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
But it additionally may fall right into a grey space for the reason that signal didn’t explicitly disrespect an opponent or criticize any political goal.

The IOC relaxed its rule in opposition to protests earlier than the Tokyo Games, permitting athletes to specific themselves politically earlier than competitions begin — however Heraskevych’s motion would possible not be lined by that as a result of it occurred on the end line. Still, the IOC doesn’t at all times select to carry a disciplinary case.