'We were within the rules,’ Canadian skeleton coach denies sabotaging U.S. slider

This wasn’t the Olympic build-up Joe Cecchini envisioned.

The Canadian skeleton coach and 2018 Italian Olympian was preparing to gear up for a convergence of his worlds at Milano Cortina 2026.

Then, allegations surfaced that he manipulated a race on the developmental circuit to ensure Canada’s spots at the Olympics, ultimately preventing American Katie Uhlaender from competing in a record sixth Games.

“On me personally, this has been horrible. I never expected a decision like this within the ruleset at a development circuit to cause such a scenario,” Cecchini told CBC Sports in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

“I feel really bad for the athletes in trying to understand why people are so potentially angry. There's a voice from an athlete who's been in multiple Olympics and is carrying a certain clout. And it's been really hard and it has challenged myself, my staff.”

The IBSF, skeleton’s international governing body, found no wrongdoing on Cecchini’s part after four Canadian athletes withdrew from a competition in January in Lake Placid, N.Y., which affected the points available at the race. The International Olympic Committee denied Uhlaender a wild-card spot upon appeal.

An independent tribunal dismissed Uhlaender’s complaint on Wednesday, while noting “that the action of the Canadians was intentional and directed to reducing the points available to athletes who slid at the final Lake Placid [North American Cup].”

On Friday, Uhlaender filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claiming she was unfairly prevented from earning her Olympic spot.

The appeal also found that the withdrawals ultimately did not affect the number of quota spots each country received into the Olympics. Uhlaender, however, missed out on points that could have nudged her ahead of American teammate Mystique Ro in the worldwide standings. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee ultimately decides which two athletes will fill its allocations.

Cecchini said he’s known Uhlaender for 20 years through skeleton, with her career pre-dating his. He said they would often check in on each other, and that he was surprised by her reaction.

“I totally can understand how skeleton is a huge part of her life as it is mine. And so I can see how she can be upset and disappointed,” Cecchini said.

“But being disappointed and upset with the decision of another nation, or expecting another nation to go to do something extra for you so that you can have a certain performance, I don't think it is fair to put that onto another nation and to be so disappointed in a decision that someone does to take it as personally as she has.”

After Uhlaender learned of the withdrawals, Cecchini said she sent him around 40 text messages.