Ukrainian Skeleton Racer Could Face Olympic Disqualification Over Helmet Honoring War Dead

[maxsolomon]

4. A Hill article offers some more context for the IOC's ban:

Earlier Tuesday, IOC Communications Director Mark Adams explained the ban by telling reporters Tuesday that “we have to concentrate on the athletes’ performance and sport on the field of play” and “the games needed to be separated not just from political and religious, but from all types of interference.”

Under the IOC’s Rule 50, athletes are barred from displaying “political, religious or racial propaganda” in “any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.” The IOC says that the purpose of that regulation “is not to make athletes politically neutral, rather it is to keep the Olympic Games politically neutral.”

Adams said Tuesday that the IOC would make an “exception” to those guidelines and permit Heraskevych to wear a black armband during competition. However, Heraskevych said Tuesday that “I truly believe that [the] IOC don’t have so much black bands to honor all the athletes who have fallen in this war.”

https://thehill.com/policy/international/5731553-heraskevych-ioc-controversy-ukraine/

It's not religious or racial propaganda, but is it that "political"? I guess..