Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton to call in mediator to address toxic-culture allegations

Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton says it will engage an independent, third-party mediator to help address the concerns of its athletes.

The national sport organization sent an email outlining its mediation plan to 49 of Canada's bobsled and skeleton athletes on Thursday morning.

It is in response to a letter signed by more than 60 athletes that was sent on Monday to Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton's board of directors.

The email, obtained by The Canadian Press, was only sent to active sliding athletes, while the original letter of complaint was signed by active and retired athletes.

The athletes who spoke with CBC News all described a grim culture, one where they're afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation from the organization — namely, losing their spot on the national team and thus their Olympic dreams. Those concerns are also reflected in the letter, signed by athletes who competed for Canada as far back as 2014.

"BCS's leadership style feels authoritarian, and fear of retaliation silences athletes and prevents them from bringing forward any questions or concerns," the letter reads. "The athletes feel they have no voice on matters that directly affect them and face an organization that is unwilling to meaningfully address concerns and make improvements."

Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton said the first step will be to convene meetings with athletes to identify issues of concern and also opportunities for improvement within the organization's high-performance program.

Step 2 is to convene a mediated meeting of athletes, the board, as well as representatives from Sport Canada, Own The Podium, and the Canadian Olympic Committee to review the issues and develop an action plan.