The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which is the leading authority for resolving disputes in international sports, will be hearing American skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender’s appeal for a spot in the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics.
Uhlaender is hoping to qualify after Team Canada withdrew its athletes from the North American Cup recently, which effectively limited her ability to earn qualifying points since fewer points were available. This decision impacted her chances significantly.
Now, CAS is set to take a closer look at the situation.
According to a CAS statement, Uhlaender is asking the court to decide if the decision by BCS to withdraw four athletes from the IBSF North American Cup race scheduled for January 11, 2026, contravenes the Olympic Movement Code intended to prevent competition manipulation, and whether BCS coaches have breached the IBSF Code of Conduct.
A public hearing is planned for Sunday morning.
Previously, an investigation by the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) found that Team Canada had intentionally influenced points for the Lake Placid competition, yet no changes were made to the results or penalties imposed as a consequence.
Interestingly, the IBSF noted, “While Canada later asserted that the decision to bar the four athletes from official practice was for their safety, there is significant evidence that Uhlaender’s claim of a deliberate action to diminish available points to protect Canada’s Olympic spot is justified.”
The statement went on to emphasize that the Olympic Athletic Code doesn’t provide mechanisms for altering athletic records outside of sanctions, even if disqualifying an athlete results in unintended consequences for other competitors.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), asking them to grant Uhlaender a spot. Interestingly, this petition was supported by representatives from 15 other countries.
Meanwhile, Joe Cecchini, the skeleton coach for the Canadian national team, defended the team’s choice to withdraw its athletes. He commented that everything was within the rules, asserting that a strategic approach to races is common. “This is all within the rules,” he stated. “There’s nothing wrong with those things… If anything, this is a flaw in the system. But we were within the rules.”
