Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladislav Heraskevich said he was prepared to be disqualified on Thursday because he did not want to betray his country’s fallen athletes.

In what is likely to be an unusual sight in Cortina, where the skeleton race begins at 9:30 a.m. local time (8:30 a.m. GMT), Heraskevic vowed to wear a “memory helmet” despite being told he would be “banned” by the International Olympic Committee.

“I will not let my players down,” said Heraskevic, who finished the final day of practice in first place. “The players have sacrificed their lives, and because of that sacrifice I am here. So I will not let them down.”

Heraskevich continues to practice wearing a helmet with 20 images of athletes and children killed since the Russian invasion, despite the IOC’s ban on Monday.

“An Olympic medal would be huge,” he said. “Ever since I was a child, it has been my big dream. But in this era of total war, there are some things that are really more important than medals. At this moment, I say medals are worthless compared to people’s lives, and compared to the memories of these athletes, I believe.”

The IOC maintains that political statements are prohibited during competitions under Article 50 of the Olympic Charter. However, the Ukrainian delegation insists that the helmet does not violate any laws as it is a memorial. It is unclear whether the IOC will allow Heraskevic to make his first run before being disqualified, or whether they will try to stop him before the start.

“With the ‘memory helmet’ the IOC has turned the situation into a theater of the absurd,” Heraskevich said. “It is clear that there is no violation of IOC regulations.”

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Heraskevic could wear a black armband and speak to the press, but would not be allowed to wear a helmet while competing.

“He can express his grief, and we would encourage him to do so, but let me be clear,” he said. “It’s not the message that matters, it’s the location. There are 130 conflicts going on in the world. No matter how bad they are, you can’t cover 130 different conflicts on the stadium or during the actual competition.

Asked what would happen if Heraskevich tried to wear a helmet while competing, Adams said: “I don’t think it’s helpful to speculate. But obviously there are rules and regulations that the players themselves want us to enforce, and ultimately they will be enforced.”

Adams also pointed out that American skater Maxim Naumov, who lost his parents in last year’s Potomac Aircraft crash, honored his parents by showing them a photo after Tuesday’s competition.

“It’s a very emotional, very human, spontaneous human behavior,” he said. “In a way, this emphasizes what we are saying: this Ukrainian athlete, he can do the same thing. And we have relaxed the rules. We are proposing that he wear a black armband in memory of his friends and colleagues who lost their lives.”

“But for us, and more importantly for the athletes, the playing field is sacred.”