Canadian bobsleigh, skeleton athletes reject organization's 'Band-aid' mediation plan

Canadian bobsleigh and skeleton athletes remain steadfast in their refusal to accept their national sport organization's "unacceptable" mediation plan.

A group that has grown to 87 current and retired athletes sent a third letter Monday to Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, saying it stood by its previous statements of March 7 and 14, calling the proposed mediation "a Band-Aid solution."

"It does nothing to address the very root of the problem, which we believe to be governance and leadership failures," said the letter, copies of which were sent to the Canadian Olympic Committee, Own the Podium, Sport Canada and the Canadian Minister of Sport Pascale Ste-Onge.

"In addition, BCS failed to engage or consult with the athletes on the proposed plan, or even when choosing a mediator, once again highlighting its disregard for the athletes and their concerns. With respect, this approach is insensitive and lacks empathy in light of the issues brought forward."

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A group of about 60 athletes first complained to BCS on March 7 about issues with culture, safety, transparency and governance, claiming staff makes arbitrary decisions on matters like team selection based on biases, and has little concern for athlete safety, among other issues. The signees asked for the resignation of acting CEO Sarah Storey and high performance director Chris Le Bihan.

In an email to Canada's current 49 bobsleigh and skeleton athletes, BCS outlined a two-step mediation process. The first step was to convene meetings with athletes to identify areas of concern and opportunities for improvement. Step 2 was to convene a mediated meeting of athletes, the board, and representatives from Sport