Artist behind banned Ukrainian Olympic helmet calls Heraskevych's tribute 'great heroism'

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The artist who painted a controversial helmet that got Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych banned from the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics said his refusal to stop wearing the helmet was “a great act of heroism.”

Artist Iryna Prots meticulously painted upon Heraskevych's helmet portraits of over 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. The helmet drew international attention after the IOC said it violated rules banning political messages. Heraskevych's insistence on wearing it anyway got him barred.

“He could have refused, he could have said, ‘Fine, I’ll wear another helmet and fight for a medal,’" Prots, 52, told The Associated Press inside her home in Kyiv. "He didn’t do that. To stand up for his truth — that is great heroism.”

Heraskevych came up with the idea for the helmet design and his father, a longtime friend of Prots, asked her to paint it.

“It had to be done, and it had to be finished in time,” Prots said. “These were athletes who could have been standing there at the Olympics, but they are no longer here.”

The project marked a sharp departure from Prots' usual work: Tuscan landscapes that are regularly exhibited in a small gallery in the Italian town of Montepulciano.

She travels to Italy several times a year and said those visits shaped her belief that many Europeans remain poorly informed about the realities of the war in Ukraine.

“I understand that when a war is somewhere far away, people get used to it,” she said. “They have their own lives. But we are fighting every day. Fighting to survive.”

Working from photographs of the fallen athletes and coaches, Prots said the emotional weight of the task was immediate.

“This is pain — pain for our country,” she said. “For the fact that we lost Olympic champions, essentially, and coaches who were raising this generation of Olympic champions.”

Prots said she believes the stories of the athletes depicted on the helmet deserve to be known globally, especially as international sporting events continue with the war still ongoing.

“The Olympics are supposed to symbolize peace," she said. “But today it’s hard for me to understand how there is celebration, anthems, dancing and singing, while we live under air raid sirens and bombs.”

Despite constant Russian air attacks on Ukraine's capital, Prots said she will continue to paint.

AP journalist Dmytro Zhyhinas contributed to this report.

Ukrainian artist Iryna Prots shows a photo of the helmet of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych painted with over 20 portraits of Ukrainian athletes and coaches who were killed in Russia-Ukraine war in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych holds up his crash helmet during a press conference following a skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Steve Moore)

Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych left, holds his crash helmet at the mixed zone of the sliding center at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych holds his crash helmet as he stands in the mixed zone of the sliding center at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Ukrainian artist Iryna Prots shows a photo of 20-year old athlete Dariya Curdel who was killed in a Russian air attack — one of over 20 other Ukrainian athlete and coaches whose portraits were painted on the helmet of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Utah appeared to find a loophole in the NBA's player participation policy, but the league sent a message Thursday by hitting the Jazz with a $500,000 fine.

The NBA also docked the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for holding out Pascal Siakam and two other starters in a Feb. 3 game against the Jazz.

The policy was put in place in September 2023 to try to discourage clubs from purposely losing in order to improve their chances with the draft lottery. This year's draft is considered the strongest in several years, possibly incentivizing clubs like the Jazz to position themselves for a high pick.

The Jazz did not play stars Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the fourth quarter of recent close games. Both played three quarters in recent road games against Miami and Orlando. The Magic rallied from 17 points down to win 120-117, but the Jazz defeated the Heat 115-111.

Jazz coach Will Hardy was asked after the game at Miami whether he considered playing Markkanen and Jackson in the fourth quarter.

“I wasn’t,” Hardy said succinctly.

In fining the Jazz said, the NBA said in its release “these players were otherwise able to continue to play and the outcomes of the games were thereafter in doubt.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement the competition committee and team owners will work "to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct.”

“Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games,” Silver said.

Silver likely will further address the topic when he meets with the media Saturday during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.

The NBA fined Utah $100,000 last season after the Jazz rested Markkanen in multiple games.

He and the recently-acquired Jackson are the building blocks for the Jazz to try to get back into contention. They traded with Memphis on Feb. 3 for the two-time All-Star and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.

Jackson, however, will be out for the foreseeable future. He will undergo surgery over the NBA all-star break to remove a growth from his left knee, discovered by an MRI in a physical following the trade. Jackson averaged 22.3 points in 24 minutes per game after joining the Jazz.

Utah has prioritized player development with younger players on its roster at the expense of chasing wins. The front office is motivated to hold onto a first-round pick in this year's draft that is top-eight protected. Falling outside the bottom eight in the standings means Utah would lose that pick to Oklahoma City.

A number of teams, including the Jazz, would seem to have a great interest in securing a high selection for this year's draft.

One of those top prospects plays just south of Salt Lake. BYU's AJ Dybantsa is considered a likely top-three and potentially franchise-changing pick along with Duke's Cameron Boozer and Kansas' Darryn Peterson.

But it's also a deep draft where simply getting into the lottery could mean still getting a shot at a difference-making player.

The Jazz, 18-37 entering Thursday night's game against Portland, will miss the postseason for the fourth year in a row. This comes after a six-year stretch in which the Jazz made the playoffs each season.

Under the direction of CEO Danny Ainge and his son and team president, Austin, the Jazz ultimately are trying to return to the glory days when they didn't just make the playoffs. The John Stockton-Karl Malone teams in 1990s were regular championship contenders, making the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.

Freelance writer John Coon in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.

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Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy watches play during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Utah Jazz center Jaren Jackson Jr. (20) is defended by Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)