American Uhlaender seeks Olympic wildcard after Canadian skeleton withdrawals

‍U.S. skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender has asked the International Olympic Committee for a wildcard into the 2026 Winter Olympics after Canada's skeleton team withdrew ​four athletes from a competition earlier this month, ending her bid for a sixth Games despite winning the race.

Due to the Canadian withdrawals from the races ​in Lake Placid, U.S., the field dropped to a size that reduced the number ⁠of ranking points available. This ended Uhlaender's qualification ‍hopes for next ⁠month's Milano-Cortina ​Olympics.

Uhlaender, a double world champion with ‍a personal Olympic-best finish of fourth in 2014, alleged that the Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton [BCS] "manipulated" the race, impacting Olympic and World Cup qualification points for athletes from more than five nations.

"This request is not about special treatment. It is about preventing further damage and upholding the spirit and values of Olympic sport," ⁠she said in a statement on Saturday.

Canada’s skeleton team denies Olympic sabotage allegations

BCS, which did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request ‍for comment, was cleared last week by the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation of any wrongdoing after an investigation.

BCS said it withdrew the ⁠athletes out of safety concerns and recognized the move had ​an unintended impact on the size of the field.

Uhlaender ​said she will also ask the Court of ‍Arbitration for Sport to intervene in the case.