The pattern is hard to miss. An Italian can compete wearing the Russian flag on his helmet — a flag that’s explicitly prohibited at these Games — with zero consequences.
An Israeli skeleton racer can put the names of terrorism victims on his head.
An American can hold up photos of dead parents in the competition area.
And yet, three Ukrainian athletes were sanctioned. Why? For doing what anyone else seems able to do. It is clear that Ukrainians referencing the 660 fellow athletes and coaches who have been killed are being held to a very different standard.
The IOC’s stated objection is that Heraskevych’s act was “premeditated” while others were “spontaneous”, which doesn’t survive contact with reality.
Firestone had his religious memorial cloth custom-made long before the Games. Linton’s helmet was pre-painted. Fischnaller has been wearing a Russian flag for what, a decade already? Every one of these was planned long in advance.
Only Ukrainian athletes are being censored.
| Athlete | Games | Expression | Consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith & Carlos (USA) | 1968 | Raised fists on podium | Expelled |
| Matthias Steiner (Germany) | 2008 | Photo of late wife on gold medal podium | None |
| Raven Saunders (USA) | 2020 | X gesture on podium for “all people who are oppressed” | Investigated, no sanction |
| Gwen Berry (USA) | 2020 | Raised fist protesting racial injustice | None |
| German hockey captain | 2020 | Rainbow armband during matches | None |
| Multiple football teams | 2020 | Took a knee before matches | None |
| Heraskevych (Ukraine) | 2022 | “No War in Ukraine” sign after final run | None |
| Manizha Talash (Refugee) | 2024 | Cape reading “free Afghan women” | Disqualified |
| Jared Firestone (Israel) | 2026 | Kippah with names of 11 killed at 1972 Munich Games. Worn on his head | None |
| Maxim Naumov (USA) | 2026 | Photo of parents killed in 2025 plane crash, held in kiss-and-cry area | None |
| Jessica Linton (Canada) | 2026 | Helmet reading “I ski for Brayden” honoring deceased skier | None |
| Roland Fischnaller (Italy) | 2026 | Helmet displaying Russian flag, which is explicitly banned | None |
| Kateryna Kotsar (Ukraine) | 2026 | Helmet reading “Be brave like Ukrainians” | Banned |
| Oleh Handei (Ukraine) | 2026 | Helmet quoting poet Lina Kostenko | Banned |
| Heraskevych (Ukraine) | 2026 | Helmet with photos of athletes killed by Russia | Disqualified |
Here’s how Firestone himself explains his Olympic campaign, wearing a memorial to the dead on his head.
“If I weren’t representing Israel, I wouldn’t do it,” he said. “But this is something I’m willing to sacrifice to have Israel there, to have the Magen David on my helmet be seen at the competitions.” Firestone, who became an Israeli citizen in 2019…
He’s not subtle. That’s political expression by the IOC’s own definition, stated on the record, and they didn’t touch him.
Accommodating Russian flags and Israeli political activists, while banning only the Ukrainians who memorialize their dead athletes and coaches, is the story. The IOC allowed 13 Russian athletes into the Games by labeling their appearance “neutral individuals”, while banning Ukrainians from bringing their dead into the games as neutral.