Uhlaender’s Winter Olympic hopes end as Cas denies appeal

Skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender will miss out on her sixth Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport said it does not have jurisdiction to change the result of a race that could have helped her qualify for the Milan-Cortina Games.

The American slider asked Cas to award her ranking points from a race last month after Canada withdrew four athletes from the North American Cup at Lake Placid.

Uhlaender claimed it cost her a spot at the Games as it cut the field to fewer than 21, reducing the number of ranking points available for her to qualify.

She appealed to Cas against Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, Canadian coach Joe Cecchini and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF).

Uhlaender, 41, a double world champion in 2012, requested full ranking points be awarded for the race and asked if the decision to withdraw the Canadian athletes was “in violation of the Olympic Movement Code on the prevention of the manipulation of competitions”.

It means that the race on the 11 January, and the subsequent judgement by the IBSF on 23 January that cleared Canada of wrongdoing, took place before the 27 January cut-off.

“Consequently, the application fell outside the jurisdiction of the Cas”, it said in a statement.

In their arguments, the IBSF and Canadian Bobsleigh also said that even if Uhlaender was given the extra points, the US officials would have to decide whether to include her or not.

The IBSF had cleared Canada of manipulating qualification but “reminded” they should “act within the spirit” of the sport’s code of ethics.