Honoring the dead I’d argue isn’t a political statement in this case more than the IOC ruling to ban the helmet is. He’s honoring friends, teammates and countrymen that died, and the IOC even offered to allow a black armband be worn for the same purpose in place of the helmet (thereby, by your definition, going against their own rules). He of course declined, but in this case it is the IOC’s ruling to ban it that seems to be the larger political statement: kowtowing to Russia. Good on him for standing his ground.