From concussions to coercion: Why Canada's Olympic sliders say their safety is at risk

Kori Hol still has her bobsleigh helmet. But not because the 29-year-old pilot has any aspirations to return to the sport.

"This is the helmet that ended my bobsleigh career," Hol said from her home in Port Moody, B.C. "I keep this one. This one, when I own my own house, will be on display I think because it kind of is a reminder of what I went through in the sport."

Hol was once one of Canada's most promising bobsleigh athletes. Twice she won the North American Cup overall gold, and had her sights on the Beijing Olympics. While trying to keep her spot on Canada's national team for the 2020-21 season, Hol crashed three times in a four-day span during the team selection races, hitting her head each time.

Hol alleges the national sport organization, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS), did not follow concussion protocols when she crashed. Namely, she said it wasn't until the third crash when a team therapist approached her to get evaluated.

Her allegations echo concerns over whether BCS puts a enough emphasis on athletes' safety. Such concerns were raised by more than a dozen current and former bobsleigh and skeleton competitors in interviews with CBC News since the Beijing Games.

"When it was time to get [tested], I was not escorted by team members, therapist, coach or any staff for that matter," Hol said, which is contrary to the concussion management protocol on the organization's website. "I was told to drive to the clinic myself and go get the baseline where I then was diagnosed with a concussion."

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While the protocol also says athletes need to report to the medical team following a blow to the head, Hol said that's not what's expected within the culture