Court makes ruling in Katie Uhlaender case ahead of Winter Olympics
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Monday in the case involving American skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender and her bid to participate in the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The CAS Special Section ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to consider Uhlaender’s lawsuit 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 the Winter Olympics.
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Katie Uhlaender from the USA, on March 7, 2025, in Lake Placid, New York, at Mt. Van Hoevenberg competes in the Women’s Skeleton Racing Tri Group on Day 2 of the 2025 IBSF World Championships. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Uhlaender sought qualification after missing out on qualifying in early January when Team Canada withdrew athletes from the North American Cup race, reducing the amount of points the event could offer. The points drop made it impossible for Uhlaender to earn enough to qualify.
An investigation by the IBSF found that Team Canada deliberately manipulated the scores at the competition in Lake Placid, New York. But IBSF also did not correct 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) petitioning for a spot for Uhlaender. Fifteen other countries joined this petition.
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Katie Uhlaender of the United States reacts after her final run in the Women’s Skeleton at the Olympic Skating Center on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea on February 17, 2018. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
CAS said its panel had “carefully considered” both sides’ arguments.
Uhlaender argued that Canada’s decision to withdraw athletes from the race was against the Olympic Rules and demanded that full points be given to him for the race. The defendants argued that even if Uhlaender were awarded points, that didn’t necessarily mean he would qualify for Team USA, and the U.S. might have to withdraw a racer already in Italy.
“The CAS Panel stated in its Decision that the CAS Special Section for 2026 (Olympic Winter Games) was established only to resolve disputes that arose during the 2026 OWG or within 10 days before the Opening Ceremony (6 February 2026). As a result, the dispute must have arisen by 27 January 2026 at the earliest to fall within its jurisdiction,” the decision said. read.
“Having considered the chronology of events between Ms Uhlaender and the Respondents, the CAS Panel concluded that the latest date on which the dispute arose was 23 January 2026, at which time the IBSF Court of Appeal issued its decision. As a result, the application fell outside the jurisdiction of the CAS Interim Division Milano Cortina 2026.”
Uhlaender reacted to the decision in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Katie Uhlaender of the United States reacts after the women’s skeleton heat 2 run during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Olympic Skating Center in Pyeongchang, South Korea on February 16, 2018. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)
“I’m disappointed that nothing has been done again. I’m currently exploring options. But I’m fighting for the right thing because this action hurts all athletes,” he said.
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The Winter Olympics officially start on February 6.
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