Court reaches decision in Katie Uhlaender case before Winter Olympics

CAS Ruling on Katie Uhlaender’s Olympic Qualification

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Monday its decision regarding Katie Uhlaender, the American skeleton athlete, as she pursues qualification for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympic Games.

The CAS Special Division determined that it lacked jurisdiction over Uhlaender’s lawsuit against the coach of Bobsled Canada Skeleton, Joe Cecchini, along with the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF), related to the outcomes of the IBSF North American Cup race and its implications for Olympic qualification.

Uhlaender’s qualifying hopes were impacted when Team Canada decided to withdraw its athletes from the North American Cup race in January, which consequently reduced her opportunity to earn valuable points. This point reduction ultimately left her short of the threshold needed to qualify.

While an investigation by the IBSF revealed that the Canadian team had manipulated points during the competition in Lake Placid, New York, the IBSF did not change the final results or impose penalties. In response, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) reached out to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), appealing to grant Uhlaender a spot, with support from fifteen other countries.

CAS stated it had carefully examined the claims from both parties. Uhlaender contended that Canada’s exclusion tactics were a violation of Olympic rules and called for all points from that race to be awarded to her. The defense argued that even should she receive those points, it wouldn’t guarantee her a place on Team USA, and it might complicate things for another racer already slated to compete in Italy.

“The CAS Panel specified in their ruling that the Special Branch was formed to address disputes arising during the 2026 Winter Olympics period or within 10 days before the Opening Ceremony (February 6, 2026). Therefore, to fall within its oversight, disputes should have arisen no later than January 27, 2026,” as outlined in their judgment.

The CAS panel concluded that the latest inflection point of the issue was January 23, 2026, when the IBSF Court of Appeal delivered its decision. Consequently, the matter did not fall within the CAS Special Division’s jurisdiction.

In her response to the ruling, Uhlaender expressed her disappointment. “I’m disappointed that nothing is done again. I’m currently exploring my options. But this action was damaging to athletes as a whole, so I’m fighting for what’s right,” she conveyed.