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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday made a ruling in the case of American skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender and her bid to receive a spot in the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The CAS Ad hoc Division ruled that it had no jurisdiction to consider Uhlaender’s case against Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) coach Joe Cecchini and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation over the results of the IBSF North American Cup Race and Skeleton qualification for a spot in the Winter Olympics.
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Katie Uhlaender of the USA competes during the Women’s Skeleton Race Heat three on Day 2 of the 2025 IBSF World Championships at Mt. Van Hoevenberg on March 7, 2025 in Lake Placid, New York. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Uhlaender sought qualification after she missed out on the chance to qualify when Team Canada withdrew athletes from the North American Cup race in early January, reducing the amount of points that the event could award. The point reduction made it impossible for Uhlaender to earn enough to qualify.
An investigation by the IBSF found that Team Canada intentionally manipulated the points at the competition in Lake Placid, New York. However, the IBSF also did not revise any of the results or deliver any penalties as a result. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) petitioning to have Uhlaender granted a spot. Fifteen other countries have joined in on that petition.
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Katie Uhlaender of the United States reacts after her final run during the Women’s Skeleton on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Olympic Sliding Centre on Feb. 17, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
The CAS said its panel “carefully considered” the arguments made by both sides.
Uhlaender argued that Canada’s decision to pull the athletes from the race was in violation of the Olympic Code and requested that the full points be given to her for the race. The defendants argued that even if Uhlaender was given the points, it didn’t necessarily mean she would qualify for Team USA and that the U.S. might need to pull a racer who is already in Italy.
“In its Award, the CAS Panel noted that the CAS Ad hoc Division for the 2026 (Olympic Winter Games) has been established to resolve disputes only insofar as they arise during the 2026 OWG or during a period of 10 days preceding the Opening Ceremony (on 6 February 2026). As a result, the dispute must have arisen by 27 January 2026 at the earliest in order to fall within its jurisdiction,” the ruling read.
“Considering the chronology of the events between Ms. Uhlaender and the Respondents, the CAS Panel concluded that the latest date on which the dispute arose was 23 January 2026, on which date the IBSF Appeals Tribunal issued its decision. Consequently, the application fell outside the jurisdiction of the CAS Ad hoc Division Milano Cortina 2026.”
Uhlaender reacted to the ruling in a statement to Digital.
Katie Uhlaender of the U.S. reacts after the women’s skeleton heat 2 run during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Olympic Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 16, 2018. (Mark Ralston / AFP via Getty Images)
“I’m disappointed that nothing is being done again. I am currently exploring options. But I’m fighting for the right thing as this action hurt a whole field of athletes,” she said.
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The Winter Olympics officially begin on Feb. 6.
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