Katie Uhlaender, a veteran U.S. skeleton racer, is fighting for a chance to compete in her sixth Winter Olympics, but a last-minute decision by the Canadian team has thrown her Olympic dreams into jeopardy. The 41-year-old athlete is now calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to intervene and create a special berth for her to race in Milan Cortina next month.
“This is about the integrity of sport and code of ethics that upholds sportsmanship, fair play, integrity, respect and community,” Uhlaender said in a post on X on Sunday.
The controversy centers around a competition held earlier this month in Lake Placid, New York, where athletes raced head-first down an ice track to earn qualifying points for the Olympics.
Uhlaender, of Breckenridge, Colorado, performed well and initially appeared poised to qualify for the games. However, the Canadian skeleton team unexpectedly withdrew four women athletes from the Lake Placid event. This reduction in competitors altered the point tally system, ultimately reducing the number of qualifying points awarded to Uhlaender.
Critics, including Uhlaender, allege that Canada’s move was a deliberate attempt to manipulate the qualifying process.
Katie Uhlaender of the USA celebrates after finishing the Women’s Skeleton Race Heat four 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 North America
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Al Bello/Getty Images North America
Review by international sports officials leaves Uhlaender in the cold
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) reviewed the situation after complaints from Uhlaender and others. IBSF officials initially stated, “The late withdrawal of athletes intuitively gives rise to concern that the action may have constituted impermissible manipulation.” However, on January 15, the IBSF ruled that Canada had not violated any rules or ethical codes, upholding the original point totals.
Rocky Harris, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee chief of sport, confirmed on Monday that Team USA supported Uhlaender’s appeal, but the IOC denied the request. “We did send a letter to the IOC and we got a response this morning that they are supporting the international [sledding] federation decision on the matter,” Harris said.
David Shoemaker, head of the Canadian Olympic Committee, indicated he considers the matter closed in a statement to the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, stating, “It’s certainly not ideal to have the integrity of that [Canadian skeleton] program and its coach questioned on the eve of the Olympics.”
Uhlaender, who has competed in the Winter Olympics since 2006, expressed her continued hope for a reversal of the decision on X, calling for the IOC to create a special berth for her. She also appealed to Vice President J.D. Vance, who will lead the U.S. delegation to the opening ceremony in Milan Cortina, to advocate for her with international sports officials. “If I could speak with J.D. Vance, I would ask if he would stand with me, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and many other nations,” Uhlaender said.
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