At the 2026 Olympic Games in Italy, a third Ukrainian athlete was banned from competing in his own helmet. This time, short-track speed skater Oleg Gandey was sanctioned and was banned from wearing equipment for quoting Lina Kostenko, writes Suspilne. Sport"

The International Skating Union did not allow Gunday to start wearing his usual helmet because of an inscription with the words of a Ukrainian writer: “Where there is heroism, there is no final defeat.”. The organizers considered the phrase a “political slogan” and demanded that the equipment be replaced a few days before the start of the competition.

Gunday, who won a license for the Games after four stages of the world tour and must start at distances of 500 and 1500 meters, was forced to comply with the requirement. According to him, he literally translated the quote for representatives of the federation and explained that these were motivational words for him and the team, but in response he heard that the phrase was allegedly related to war and was therefore considered political propaganda.

The Ukrainian emphasized that we are talking about lines from a work about the heroes of Krut, events that took place a hundred years ago, and, in his opinion, there are no direct political appeals in them. Nevertheless, he was made to understand that there was no point in arguing and that it was better to change the helmet to avoid problems.

Gunday became the third Ukrainian athlete at the 2026 Games to face such a ban. Previously, a helmet with the inscription “Be brave like a Ukrainian” was not allowed to be used by snowboarder Ekaterina Kotsar, and skeletonist and flag bearer Vladislav Geraskevich was banned from performing in a “helmet of memory” depicting Ukrainian athletes who died as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion.

The short track rider believes that Geraskevich’s public position increased attention to the topic and provoked a harsher reaction from the structures. He expressed hope that Ukrainian athletes will continue to defend their position, because, according to him, while the struggle is ongoing, there remains a chance to achieve their goal. Gunday also announced numerous provocations from Russian “neutral” athletes and their entourage, who, in his opinion, are trying to legalize their presence at the Games.

At the same time, the athlete clarified: the decision on the ban was made not by the International Olympic Committee, but by the ISU. According to him, Ukraine does not have representatives in this organization, which complicates the protection of interests and creates a feeling of lack of support. Gunday admitted that he was given to understand that excessive publicity could negatively affect his future career.

The Ukrainian’s first start at the Olympics will be the 1500 meters distance on February 14. Broadcast of the competition is planned on Suspilne Sport platforms and regional TV channels.