UKRAINIAN skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych trained again in his banned helmet today, one day before the start of his race at the Milan Cortina Games and with the International Olympic Committee urging him to make his point differently.

Heraskevych came to the Olympics with a customised helmet showing the faces of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who were killed during their country’s war with Russia, a conflict that started shortly after the 2022 Beijing Games ended.

But the IOC said on Monday night that the helmet wouldn’t be allowed in competition, citing a rule against making political statements on the Olympic field of play. Heraskevych wore the helmet for training Tuesday and today anyway, knowing the IOC could ultimately keep him from the Olympic race.

The IOC planned to talk to Heraskevych again last night to discuss what would be allowed, spokesman Mark Adams said.

“We will reiterate the many, many opportunities that he has to express his grief,” Adams said. “As we discussed before, he can do so on social media and press conferences in the mixed zone. So, we will try to talk to him about that and try to convince him.”