Canada’s decision to pull its athletes out of a skeleton race in Lake Placid is now being looked into by the sport’s world governing body.
The move happened on Sunday at the North American Cup event and has caused controversy because American slider Katie Uhlaender says it cost her a chance to qualify for the Winter Olympics next month.
Uhlaender, who is 41 and a two-time world champion, was trying to earn enough ranking points to make what would have been her sixth Olympic Games. She won the development race, but when Canada withdrew four of its athletes, there were fewer competitors overall. That meant fewer ranking points were available, and Uhlaender could no longer qualify for the Milan-Cortina Olympics before the 18 January deadline.
Uhlaender said she was told about Canada’s plan ahead of time and was devastated when it went ahead. She said it felt like her Olympic dream was over and described the decision as deeply hurtful, especially coming from people she had known for many years.
Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) defended its decision, saying it was made after careful thought and discussions with the sport’s governing body. The organisation said the move was based on what it believed was best for the health, safety, and long-term development of its athletes.
BCS admitted that pulling out athletes had an unexpected effect on the size of the race and the number of points available. However, it said development races are meant for experience, not for Olympic qualification, and that points are not guaranteed at that level.
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) has now asked its Integrity Unit to investigate what happened.
USA Bobsled/Skeleton welcomed the investigation, saying it supports fair competition and protecting athletes’ rights, while also stressing the importance of keeping respectful relationships between countries in the sport.
