Skeleton scandal: U.S. racer says Canadian team blocked her 6th Olympic bid

U.S. skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender was hoping to be the first woman to compete in the Winter Games six times for the U.S., but fell short of qualifying. She's not giving up.

U.S. skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender claims she has been robbed of a chance to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Uhlaender, 41, was hoping to be the first woman to compete in the Winter Games six times for the U.S., but fell just short of qualifying for the Olympic team.

She said a decision by Canadian coaches to pull four of their sliders out of a North American Cup (NAC) race held earlier this month was unfair, since it lowered the total standings points available in that event. Uhlaender won that race but only received 90 points instead of the usual 120, leaving her 18 points away from qualifying for the U.S. team.

The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) — the governing body for the sport — investigated Canada’s decision and motivation for its move. They acknowledged that “the late withdrawal of athletes intuitively gives rise to concern that the action may have constituted impermissible manipulation,” but found no rules were broken.

Here’s everything you need to know about Uhlaender’s claims and appeals on the decision.

Uhlaender won the North American Cup race in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Jan.11, which had 19 sliders. She received 25 per cent fewer ranking points than she would have in a full field. That point difference left her behind the U.S.’ Mystique Ro in the final standings.

The NAC series is a tier below World Cup level and tends to be a place for developmental athletes to compete. Uhlaender competed in seven races this season on the NAC and Asian Cup circuits — another lower-tier series — in an effort to collect enough points to make the Olympic team after failing to make this season’s U.S. World Cup roster.

Uhlaender did not qualify for the U.S. World Cup team entering this season and decided to appeal the decision by international officials.