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Florian Rises in Rankings Amid Controversial Helmet Disqualification

2/13/2026

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Summary

Story summary

At the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, skeleton racer Austin Florian wore a Venom helmet and moved from 14th in the first heat to 13th overall with a time of 1:53.54 after second heat.
Florian, 2025 IBSF World Championship gold medalist, aims for podium in final heats.
The event drew attention after Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified for refusing to wear a helmet deemed political; Florian stayed focused on competition.

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Story summary

At the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, skeleton racer Austin Florian wore a Venom helmet and moved from 14th in the first heat to 13th overall with a time of 1:53.54 after second heat.
Florian, 2025 IBSF World Championship gold medalist, aims for podium in final heats.
The event drew attention after Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified for refusing to wear a helmet deemed political; Florian stayed focused on competition.