CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Vladyslav Heraskevych showed up for the Milan Cortina Olympics with a new helmet, one featuring the images of about a half-dozen of his fellow Ukrainian athletes. They were all killed in Russian attacks.

Skeleton and bobsleigh are measured to the hundredth of a second, while luge is to a thousandth. Men's luge is the fastest of all the disciplines, but all three events can see athletes reach speeds of more than 80mph.

27-year-old Vladyslav Heraskevych shared that he had donned the helmet in an effort to speak out about Russia's war on Ukraine

With the 2026 Winter Olympics underway, here's a guide on the high-speed sledding sports: luge, skeleton and bobsleigh.

Skeleton is one of the fastest sports at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Here’s how the head-first sliding event works and who is competing for the U.S. (AP photo)

Just days before the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are set to begin, U.S. skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender is still fighting for a spot. The American is at the center of a controversy after the Canadian skeleton team made a decision at a recent race that ultimately cost her a sixth Olympic appearance.

Ukrainian skeleton competitor Vladyslav Heraskevych said on Monday he had been told by an IOC representative that he was banned from wearing a helmet at the Milano Cortina Games showing images of the country's athletes killed during the war in Ukraine.

The bobsled, luge and skeleton are among the more popular Winter Olympics events, and while they have many similarities, there are key differences.

Ro says that skeleton is the ultimate example of doing something because you love it — even if at first, you thought you hated it.

Dan Barefoot picked up skeleton as a hobby in his mid-20s. Now, he'll compete with the best at the biggest stage.