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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Monday in the case of the American athlete Katie Uhlaender and her candidacy to obtain a place in the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
The CAS Ad Hoc Division ruled that it did not have 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’s qualification for a spot in the Winter Olympics.
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Katie Uhlaender of the USA competes during heat three of the Women’s Skeleton Race 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 missing out on the opportunity to qualify when Team Canada withdrew athletes from the North American Cup race in early January, reducing the number of points the event could award. The points reduction made it impossible for Uhlaender to win enough to qualify.
An IBSF investigation found that Team Canada intentionally manipulated points at the competition in Lake Placid, New York. However, the IBSF also did not review any of the results or impose any penalties as a result. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) requesting that Uhlaender be granted a spot. Fifteen other countries have joined that request.
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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 Olympic Winter Games at the Olympic Sliding Center on February 17, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
The CAS said its panel “carefully considered” the arguments presented by both sides.
Uhlaender argued that Canada’s decision to withdraw athletes from the race violated the Olympic Code and requested that he be awarded full points for the race. The defendants argued that even if Uhlaender received the points, that did not necessarily mean he would qualify for the U.S. team and that the U.S. might need to recall a rider already in Italy.
“In its award, the CAS Panel noted that the CAS Ad Hoc Division for 2026 (Olympic Winter Games) was created to resolve disputes only to the extent that they arise during the 2026 OWG or during a 10-day period prior to the Opening Ceremony (February 6, 2026). As a result, the dispute must have arisen before January 27, 2026 to fall within its jurisdiction,” the ruling read.
“Taking into account the chronology of events between Ms. Uhlaender and the respondents, the CAS Panel concluded that the last date on which the dispute arose was January 23, 2026, the date on which the IBSF Appeals Tribunal issued its decision. Consequently, the application fell outside the jurisdiction of the Ad hoc Division of the CAS Milano Cortina 2026.”
Uhlaender reacted to the ruling in a statement to Pak Gazette Digital.
Katie Uhlaender of the USA reacts after the women’s skeleton race 2 during the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games at the Olympic Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on February 16, 2018. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)
“I am disappointed that nothing will be done again. I am currently exploring options. But I am fighting for what is right, as this action harms an entire field of athletes,” she said.
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The Winter Olympics officially begin on February 6.
