CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych said on Monday a helmet he has used in training at the Milan Cortina Games with images of compatriots killed during the war in Ukraine cannot be used in Olympic competition after being told by the IOC that it violates a rule on political statements.

The helmet, which depicts several athletes killed in the war — some of whom were Heraskevych’s friends — will now likely have to be shelved following a visit from an IOC representative.

Heraskevych, who is his country’s flag bearer at the Games, said Toshio Tsurunaga, the International Olympic Committee representative in charge of communications between athletes, national Olympic committees and the IOC, had gone to the Athletes’ Village to inform him.

“He said it’s because of Rule 50,” Heraskevych told Reuters. Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

The decision to wear the helmet in Milan earned praise from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Writing on Telegram, Zelenskiy thanked Heraskevych “for reminding the world of the price of our struggle.

“This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or called a ‘political act at a sporting event.’ It is a reminder to the whole world of what modern Russia is,” Zelenskiy said. “And it is precisely this that reminds everyone of the global role of sports and the historic mission of the Olympic movement — it’s all about peace and for the sake of life. Ukraine remains faithful to this. Russia proves otherwise.”

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Earlier on Monday the IOC said it had not received any official request from the Ukrainian Olympic Committee to use the helmet in competition, which starts on Feb. 12.

“To date, the IOC has not received any request from the NOC (National Olympic Committee) for the athlete to wear the helmet in the competition,” an IOC spokesperson said. “Once a submission is made, the IOC will look at the request.”

Heraskevych told Reuters the helmet depicted teenage weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ischenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, actor and athlete Ivan Kononenko, diver and coach Mykyta Kozubenko, shooter Oleksiy Habarov and dancer Daria Kurdel.

Heraskevych, who held up a “No War in Ukraine” sign at the Beijing 2022 Olympics days before Russia’s invasion, had said he intended to respect Olympic rules prohibiting political demonstrations at venues while still ensuring Ukraine’s plight remained visible during the Games.

SPORT AND POLITICS

Following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus were largely barred from international sport, but the IOC has since backed their gradual return under strict conditions.

Moscow and Minsk say sport should remain separate from international conflicts.

There have been a number of incidents over the years where athletes have protested on the field of play or on the medals podium.

The most famous case dates back to the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City when U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists during the 200 meters medal ceremony to protest racial injustice in the U.S.

That led to their expulsion from the Games, although Smith kept his gold medal and Carlos his bronze.

More recently, at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Afghan breakdancer Manizha Talash, a member of the refugee Olympic team, was disqualified after wearing a cape with the slogan “Free Afghan Women” during a pre-qualifying competition.

However, there have also been cases where athletes and teams escaped punishment when their action was not deemed political.

Australia’s women’s soccer team unfurled a flag of the first peoples of Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but, while it was not one of the recognized flags of participating nations at the Games, the team was not sanctioned.

Two Chinese cycling medalists who wore badges featuring the head of their country’s former leader Mao Zedong on the podium in Tokyo escaped with a warning.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media

Neal Shipley, making his TGL debut as a member of The Bay Golf Club, recorded the first hole-in-one in the brief two-year history of the new golf league.

Shipley, 25, aced the 110-yard par-3 fifth hole, the shortest hole played in league history. His wedge shot carried 112.8 yards to the back of the green and drew back into the hole, setting off a wild celebration with teammates Luke Clanton and Min Woo Lee. Clanton is also making his TGL debut.

“This is different than any hole-in-one I’ve had before,” Shipley told ESPN during the live broadcast. “This is amazing. So cool.”

Shipley just made his first cut as a full-time PGA Tour member, finishing in a tie for 68th place at the WM Phoenix Open.

The Ohio State product gained notoriety in 2024, making the cut as an amateur at both the Masters and U.S. Open.

The Bay Golf Club (0-2) is looking for its first win, taking on Los Angeles Golf Club (1-1) at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The match is the lone competition on the slate for Week 7 of the TGL.

–Field Level Media

Coming off its first loss in nearly three months, No. 6 UConn stays on the road with a trip to Indianapolis, Ind. on Wednesday to take on Butler.

The Huskies (22-2, 12-1 Big East) lost their perfect conference record Friday night when they fell 81-72 to St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. The loss snapped an 18-game win streak.

The loss wasn’t for lack of accuracy in live-ball action as the Huskies shot 54.7% from the floor, which included 9 of 19 from 3-point range. However, they went just 5-for-12 at the free-throw line and piled up 15 turnovers — nine by point guard Silas Demary Jr.

Demary had committed just eight turnovers in UConn’s five previous games combined.

“To go on the road against that defense and shoot 54%…the turnovers killed us,” said Huskies coach Dan Hurley. “When you go minus-17 point-wise at the foul line and get out-rebounded, you’re not going to win on the road.”

Another potential piece of concern for UConn was the lack of production from the bench unit, which combined to score just six points as Hurley allotted his reserves just 29 minutes.

“I thought the bench was skittish,” Hurley added. “We got off to a pretty good start, went to the bench and it was an immediate 7-0 run (for St. John’s). If you’re a bench player and that happens, you get a little tight with that rotation.”

It’s hard to fault Hurley for sticking with a starting lineup that features everyone in double figures. Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. lead the way with 14.0 points per game while Demary ranks fifth with an 11.2 average.

Butler (13-11, 4-9) has endured four consecutive losses, all by double figures, which includes Saturday’s 70-55 defeat at Marquette. The Bulldogs had not scored so few points since a 60-52 loss on Feb. 4, 2023, at Marquette.

They shot just 32.8% from the floor and 6-for-21 from beyond the arc. Finley Bizjack led with 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting, though he was the lone Bulldog in double figures.

Butler played without two starters as point guard Azavier Robinson missed his second straight game with a wrist injury. His absence forced Bizjack into the point guard role.

“It made a difference, no doubt,” coach Thad Matta said. “He handled (Marquette’s) pressure well at our place.”

“It’s hard to lose point guards and still take care of the ball like you want to in every possession,” Bizjack said. “If they want me to bring it up, I’ll bring it up. If they want me off the ball, I’ll be off the ball, whatever I need to do to hopefully help us get back on the right track.”

Bizjack averages a team-high 17.9 points while Michael Ajayi delivers 15.8 points and 11.6 boards per game. The latter figure ranks third nationally.

UConn has never lost to Butler. The Huskies’ run began with the 2011 NCAA championship game and improved to 12-0 with their 79-60 win on Dec. 16 in Hartford.

That game broke a stretch of four straight games in the series that were decided by single-digit margins, including an overtime battle UConn squeaked out last January at home.

–Field Level Media