Denied a spot in the Milan Olympics by what she calls a ‘system flaw,’ Colorado’s Katie Uhlaender is taking her fight beyond the courtroom.

Katie Uhlaender’s chances to secure a wild card spot took a hit after last-minute withdrawals by Canadian athletes at a Lake Placid race reduced the points available. She first appealed to the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, but was rejected, and then turned to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, her final hope, but sadly, she was denied yet again.

“Hope dies last!!!” the five-time Olympian shared on X, reflecting her frustration and determination. This came after CAS said it did not have the authority to change the result of the Lake Placid race, which could have helped her qualify for the Milan-Cortina Games.

“I’m extremely disappointed that once again, nothing can be done,” Katie Uhlaender said. “It’s frustrating that we spent five hours arguing the case, and they ultimately said we couldn’t be heard, even though we were.”

Uhlaender had requested CAS to give her the full ranking points following the withdrawal of four athletes by Canada at the last minute. She accused the Canadian skeleton coach, Joe Cecchini, of intentionally withdrawing his female athletes to shrink the field, a move that resulted in fewer qualification points being awarded to the remaining competitors.

But CAS clarified that its Winter Olympic ad-hoc panel receives only those appeals concerning the events during the Games or within 10 days of the opening of the Games, which started on 6 February. Her case was “outside the jurisdiction of the CAS” since the race at Lake Placid had been held on 11 January, and the IBSF had cleared Canada of wrongdoing on 23 January, CAS said in a statement.

Even if points had been awarded to add her to the roster, US officials would still have to make a difficult decision of replacing Mystique Ro or Kelly Curtis, the top-ranked American sliders, something that appeared unlikely. This development narrows Uhlaender’s path to Milan Cortina, regardless of any legal outcomes. But the bigger question isn’t just about Katie, it’s about the overall fairness of the selection process.

Katie Uhlaender fights on despite Canada’s questionable ‘not guilty’ verdict

The IBSF investigated the grievances of the Lake Placid race and reported that the withdrawal delays “intuitively give rise to concern that the action may have constituted impermissible manipulation.” Yet the federation found that no rules were actually violated, as current IBSF regulations allow national federations to withdraw athletes at any time without a specific penalty.

So even though the action raised questions, Canada was officially cleared under the rules and found not guilty of any wrongdoing.

Even Canadian coach Joe Cecchini acknowledged the controversy but defended the decision, “This is a system flaw, if anything. But we were within the rules.”

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The situation has sparked wider concern in the sporting community. Rob Koehler, head of the athlete-led movement Global Athlete, told DW, “ Justice delayed is justice denied. There’s no remedy here.”

Despite the setbacks, Katie Uhlaender continues to fight for her bid, exploring all remaining options to push for what she believes is fair.

“What I’m hoping the IOC will see is that this truly is about the integrity of sport, and the wildcard would symbolize that,” she said, showing that even after repeated disappointments, she remains determined to advocate for what she believes is fair.