US skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender will not compete at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport denied her appeal concerning alleged point manipulation by Canadian officials.
The tribunal determined that Uhlaender's dispute fell outside the 10-day window preceding February 6th's Opening Ceremony. The decision appears to exhaust all options for the five-time Olympian to compete in what would have been her sixth Winter Games.
The controversy dates to Uhlaender's final qualifying race on January 11th in Lake Placid, New York. That's when Canadian skeleton coach Joe Cecchini texted Uhlaender telling her he had bad news. In a recorded phone conversation, he subsequently appeared to outline his plan to manipulate the qualifying competition's point system.
"We've had some crazy races that have not gone our way this year," Cecchini said in the recording. "And I'm like, 'I can just eliminate any possibilities here.'"
Cecchini withdrew four Canadian athletes from the race, reducing available ranking points and preventing Uhlaender from earning enough points to qualify for Milan Cortina.
Canada remains unsanctioned despite widespread Katie Uhlaender support
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation investigated the Uhlaender case and supported her allegations. Afterwards, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee concluded she was sidelined due to unfair actions at Lake Placid. However, Team Canada remains without any international sanctions.
Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton defended the decision as appropriate and aligned with athlete welfare and sport integrity. Despite growing support from officials acknowledging the system was manipulated, no one has intervened.
41-year-old Uhlaender as competed in five Winter Olympics, registering her best performance in 2014 with a fourth-place final finish at the Sochi Winter Games.
