The first athlete of these Winter Olympics to be sent home has been disqualified not for a drug scandal but for a scandal of governance that will have ramifications far beyond the Games.
Ukrainian skeleton star Vladyslav Heraskevych, who has family currently fighting on the front line and worked for a charity delivering relief when Russia first invaded, has been banned from competition after refusing to back down over his choice of helmet. The 27-year-old, a serious medal contender who set the quickest time in a training session on Wednesday, has been wearing a hand-painted helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes who have been killed in the Russian war.
