An international sports tribunal has declined to intervene in the case of American skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender, effectively ending her bid to compete at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled Monday that it lacked jurisdiction because the dispute fell outside the time period during which CAS can resolve Olympic qualification matters.
Uhlaender, a five-time Olympian seeking a sixth Games, had challenged results tied to a Jan. 11 World Cup race in Lake Placid, which she says were altered by a Canadian strategy to limit the points available to competitors. NPR reported that Uhlaender recorded a phone call with Joe Cecchini, the head coach of Canada’s skeleton team, in which he appeared to describe a plan to reduce the number of competitors and thereby lower the points awarded at the event.
According to Uhlaender’s account, she posted a top performance in Lake Placid, but several Canadian athletes were withdrawn late, shrinking the field. Because the qualification points awarded under the sport’s system decrease when fewer athletes compete, Uhlaender earned far fewer points than her run would normally have yielded, jeopardizing her chances of qualifying for Milan Cortina.
Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton responded to requests for comment by saying the coach’s decisions were appropriate, transparent and made with athlete welfare and integrity in mind. However, an investigation by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) found that Cecchini’s withdrawals were deliberate and intended to reduce the points available to non-Canadian athletes. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee also wrote to the International Olympic Committee saying Uhlaender had been harmed by unfair actions at Lake Placid.
Despite those findings and objections from U.S. officials and others, no international body has imposed sanctions on Canada, and CAS’s procedural decision leaves the official Olympic qualification standings unchanged. CAS noted the results for the Milano Cortina 2026 qualification places remain as published.
Uhlaender said she is disappointed and is exploring additional options, reiterating that she is fighting on behalf of the wider field of athletes affected by the incident. With CAS declining to take the case, her immediate path to the 2026 Games appears closed, and the controversy has raised broader questions about how point systems and late withdrawals can affect Olympic qualification in sliding sports.