US star dealt major blow to hopes of reaching sixth Winter Olympics after sabotage claim dismissed

Katie Uhlaender, the veteran US skeleton athlete, has seen her hopes of qualifying for a sixth Olympic Games dealt a significant blow after her complaint was dismissed by the sport’s governing body.

The decision leaves her quest to compete at the Milan Cortina Games hanging by a thread.

Uhlaender had alleged that a strategic move by Canadian coaches, who withdrew some of their sliders from a North American Cup race held last Sunday in Lake Placid, New York, unfairly reduced the total standings points available in the event. Uhlaender herself won that particular race.

The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF), which investigated Canada’s decision and its underlying motivations, acknowledged that "the late withdrawal of athletes intuitively gives rise to concern that the action may have constituted impermissible manipulation."

However, the federation ultimately concluded that no rules had been broken.

The North American Cup (NAC) series, a tier below the World Cup, typically serves as a platform for developmental athletes.

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Uhlaender, 41, has competed in seven races this season across the NAC and Asian Cup circuits – another lower-tier competition – in a determined effort to accumulate sufficient points for the Olympic team, having not secured a spot on this season’s US World Cup roster.

While her Olympic dream is not entirely over, the performances of fellow US athletes Kelly Curtis and Mystique Ro in the World Cup season finale on Friday could prove decisive.

Strong results from them would likely secure their places on the Milan Cortina Games roster, effectively ending what Uhlaender has stated will be her final Olympic bid.

Canada’s decision to keep four of its six NAC sliders out of Sunday’s race drew criticism, including from Uhlaender, as it was perceived by some as a tactic to manipulate the field.

This could potentially protect the Olympic qualification prospects of their two World Cup sliders, Hallie Clarke and Jane Channell.

Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton defended its actions earlier in the week, stating that the Lake Placid race week, which featured three NAC races instead of the usual two, "presented unique circumstances," particularly for its younger athletes.

The Canadian team explained: "Following a collective assessment by the coaching and performance team, it was determined that continuing to race these athletes was not in their best interests, nor in the best interests of the program."

The upcoming Olympics will feature 25 women in the skeleton field. Two countries will secure three entries, four nations will have two, and 11 others will receive one spot. The US is expected to claim two places, with the final breakdown due to be confirmed this weekend.

Uhlaender is aiming to equal the record for the most US Winter Olympic appearances, currently held by Nordic combined athlete Todd Lodwick, who competed in six Games.

A former women’s skeleton world champion in 2012, Uhlaender also secured two other world championship medals and famously finished a controversial fourth at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Many still believe she was unjustly denied a bronze medal, which was initially awarded to Russian slider Elena Nikitina, only to be stripped three years later due to a state-sponsored doping scandal, before her finish was eventually restored following an appeal.