American skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender was just 18 points away from qualifying for what could be her sixth Olympics… until the Canadian coach Joe Cecchini withdrew four athletes from the Olympic qualification event. Thus, cutting the points she needed to qualify for the Winter Olympics. Now, at 41, Katie is fighting to reclaim her Olympic chance and defend the integrity of the sport.

“All athletes at all levels deserve #fairplay. Canada’s Joe, says it was OK to hurt the field of 13 nations, because it wasn’t a top-tier race,” Katie tweeted on X.

But her words only sparked more attention on what really happened in Lake Placid.

In early January, at the North American Cup race in Lake Placid, Canada’s team pulled four women at the last minute, leaving Katie with just 90 points instead of the 120 she could have earned. As a result, she missed the Winter Olympics qualifying cutoff by 18 points. Katie, who had considered the coach a friend for 20 years, recorded a phone call in which he seemed to confirm that the reduced field would limit her points.

Also, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) later ruled that the coach’s decision was “intentional and directed to reducing the points available.” But Joe Cecchini, the coach responsible, defended his actions.

“This is all within the rules. There’s nothing wrong with those things. And people can be strategic in the races that they participate. And she was doing that, and other nations were doing that, because you want to put your best foot forward,” Cecchini remarked.

She also aimed directly at Uhlaender, calling her not a “top-tier athlete.”

Yet Uhlaender’s record tells a different story.

She is a five-time Olympian and one of the most experienced skeleton racers in the sport’s history. She has competed at the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 Winter Olympics, finishing as high as fourth in 2014. She has also won two World Championship titles and multiple World Cup races earlier in her career.

And the reason she didn’t earn enough points this season was that she didn’t make the U.S. World Cup team. Uhlaender raced mostly in the North American Cup (NAC) and Asian Cup, the lower-tier circuits used for development. Because those events offer fewer points, she had to compete in many races just to make up ground in the rankings.

Despite the setbacks, Katie has been doing everything she can to keep her Olympic dream alive, and the U.S. Olympic Committee is supporting her efforts to reclaim points and fight for a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

USOPC pushes for wildcard Winter Olympics spot as Katie Uhlaender takes her fight to CAS

Just a few days ago, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) formally wrote to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asking that Katie Uhlaender be added to the Olympic skeleton field as a wildcard, citing the unusual circumstances at the Lake Placid event. The USOPC described the situation as exceptional and damaging to the sport’s reputation, emphasizing that their request was about fairness, not special treatment.

In the letter, the USOPC noted, “We have the support of nine nations, and it is growing…”

The IOC replied that it had considered USOPC’s request, but it upheld the ruling of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF). The federation had already deduced that there was no violation of any rules in the withdrawal of athletes.

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The IOC, therefore, refused to grant Katie a special place in the Winter Olympics field, practically sealing their wildcard application before the Games.

Nevertheless, Katie has now gone to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which is the highest sports tribunal in international disputes. CAS issued a statement:

“Ms Uhlaender requests that CAS determine whether a decision by BCS to withdraw four of its athletes from the 11 January 2026 IBSF North American Cup Race was in violation of the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions, and that BCS coaches violated the IBSF Code of Conduct.”

Katie has also appealed to political leadership, publicly asking U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who is leading the U.S. delegation to the Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony, to advocate for her with IOC officials. She hopes his support could help revive her Olympic bid.

For now, all eyes are on Katie. In just six days, the world will know whether her fight for fairness will succeed and whether she will get her chance at a sixth Winter Olympic Games.