The International Olympic Committee apparently won’t be coming to the rescue of an American skeleton racer who believes that she was unjustly denied the chance to qualify for her sixth Winter Games.
The global governing body declined to act on a request from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to grant Katie Uhlaender a wild-card berth into the women’s skeleton competition at the Milan-Cortina Olympics scheduled for February 13-14.
When asked Monday for an update on Uhlaender’s status, USOPC Chief of Sport & Athlete Services Rocky Harris told reporters that he’d heard back from the IOC earlier that morning. Harris said the IOC is supporting the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s previous ruling against Uhlaender.
“I’m going to talk to Katie later today and see how she wants to move forward,” Harris said, perhaps hinting at the possibility Uhlaender could take the matter to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Uhlaender, 41, hoped to earn enough points to qualify for the Olympics at the North American Cup in Lake Placid earlier this month, but a controversial decision by the head coach of the Canadian skeleton team undercut her chances. Joe Cecchini withdrew at the last minute four Canadian entrants from the final race of the week, decreasing the field size from 23 to 19 and reducing the number of Olympic qualifying points available to each finisher.
Canada entered the day in position to send two skeleton athletes to the Olympics but at risk of losing one of its spots. The reduction in points available made it more difficult for racers from other countries to overtake the Canadians.
After winning all three North American Cup races in Lake Placid but not securing enough points to qualify for the Olympics, Uhlaender publicly accused Canada of deliberately pulling athletes to manipulate the points standings. The national federations of Belgium, Korea, Denmark, Israel, Malta and the Virgin Islands expressed support for her cause.
In response to Uhlaender’s media tour, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton released a statement defending Cecchini. The national federation’s statement noted that the athletes had already raced twice that week and described Cecchini’s decision to pull them from competition as “appropriate, transparent and aligned with both athlete welfare and the integrity of the sport.”
When siding with Canada in its decision, the IBSF noted that its rules did not prohibit pulling athletes from a competition without notice.
“The late withdrawal of athletes intuitively gives rise to concern that the action may have constituted impermissible manipulation,” the IBSF acknowledged. “At the same time, the express language of Section 7 of the IBSF Code of Ethics precludes any finding that conduct ‘expressly permitted’ by the competition rules is ‘improper’ or creates an ‘undue benefit.’”
On Friday, Harris sent a letter to the IOC in support of Uhlaender, urging the global governing body to “consider adding a women’s skeleton quota spot and awarding it to Ms. Uhlaender.”
Three days later, the IOC declined to intervene, leaving Uhlaender running short on time and options.