Katie Uhlaender, a seasoned U.S. skeleton racer, faced a setback in her bid for the Olympics as the Court of Arbitration for Sport declared it lacked the authority to alter the outcome of a crucial race that could have secured her a spot in the Milano Cortina Games.
Uhlaender, a five-time Olympian, had raised concerns that the Canadian skeleton coach may have influenced a race result by withdrawing four racers from a North American Cup event in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Jan. 11. This strategic move by Canada reduced the available rankings points in the race, leading to Uhlaender missing out on Olympic qualification.
Despite Uhlaender’s appeal, both the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation and the International Olympic Committee affirmed that no rules were violated, prompting Uhlaender to seek resolution from CAS, which held a hearing on Sunday.
However, CAS announced the following day that its jurisdiction for the Milano-Cortina Winter Games only extends to disputes occurring within 10 days of the games’ commencement, starting from Jan. 27. Since the race in question took place on Jan. 11 and the IBSF tribunal had already issued a decision by Jan. 23, CAS could not intervene.
As a result, Kelly Curtis and Mystique Ro will now be the representatives for the U.S. in the women’s skeleton event at the Olympics.
CAS also dismissed an appeal lodged by Ireland’s luge team against the International Luge Federation, citing the same 10-day window restriction around the games.
Ireland contended that Elsa Desmond, a 2022 Olympian, was unfairly denied a qualifying spot for the 2026 OWG due to the improper allocation of qualification places to athletes granted Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status. The argument included