AP’s Tim Reynolds first to report Ukrainian skeleton racer’s Olympic disqualification

By Tim Reynolds

AP sports writer Tim Reynolds, who has covered bobsled, luge and skeleton at seven Olympics, leveraged his deep network of sources to break news of a Ukrainian skeleton racer’s disqualification from the Winter Games.

Reynolds received a tip that Vladyslav Heraskevych would wear a helmet bearing images of athletes and coaches killed during Ukraine’s war with Russia — a move likely to prompt a confrontation with the International Olympic Committee.

On race day, Reynolds was one of only two text reporters positioned at the top of the track when Heraskevych emerged from a private meeting with the IOC president and announced he had been disqualified.

Reynolds immediately reported the development, and AP broke the news. A full story moved within minutes, followed quickly by photos from the track — the result of Reynolds’ careful preplanning and coordination with colleagues.

Video teams secured multiple interview opportunities with the athlete and, working with colleagues in Ukraine, obtained an exclusive all-formats interview in Kyiv with the artist who designed the helmet.

Judges praised Reynolds’ preparation, sourcing and speed in delivering a competitive and comprehensive report.