U.S. skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender has requested a wildcard entry into the 2026 Winter Olympics from the International Olympic Committee. This request comes after Canada’s skeleton team pulled out four athletes from a recent competition in Lake Placid, U.S., which affected Uhlaender’s chances of qualifying for the upcoming Milano-Cortina Olympics.
Following the Canadian withdrawals, the competition in Lake Placid saw a reduced field size, leading to a decrease in available ranking points. As a result, Uhlaender’s hopes of qualifying for the Milano-Cortina Olympics were dashed.
Uhlaender, a two-time world champion who achieved her best Olympic finish of fourth place in 2014, has accused the Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) of manipulating the race to impact qualification points for athletes from multiple countries. She emphasized that her request for a wildcard entry is aimed at preventing further harm and upholding the integrity of Olympic sports.
Despite the allegations, BCS, which was recently cleared of any wrongdoing by the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation following an investigation, stated that the withdrawal of athletes was due to safety concerns and unintentionally affected the competition’s field size.
Uhlaender has expressed her intention to involve the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the matter.
