The Bobsled Canada Skeleton (BCS) team and coach Joe Cecchini were exonerated after an investigation by International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation’s (IBSF) Interim Integrity Unit (IIU).
United States skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender accused the former Greater Trail athlete of manipulating the system and alleges that Cecchini sabotaged her opportunity to qualify for her sixth Olympic Games.
Uhlaneder claimed that Cecchini intentionally withdrew four Canadian athletes from the final race to manipulate the point system at the North American Cup (NAC) in Lake Placid, NY, Jan. 7-11.
The 41-year-old Uhlaender won the event but earned 90 points instead of the anticipated 120 she had amassed in the previous two races, because there were fewer than 20 competitors.
The U.S. and Denmark filed a complaint with the IBSF, and received a ruling from the IIU on Jan. 15.
“The IIU dismissed the complaints as the current IBSF Rules and Regulations did not give grounds for a breach of the International Rules, the Code of Conduct, and respectively the Code of Ethics, by the concerned coach or BCS,” read an IBSF release.
According to the IBSF rules, team coaches can use their discretion and are allowed to withdraw their athletes from competition at any time.
However, the IBSF added that it will review the incident and ask its Sport Committee to possibly refine the rules at its meeting in the spring.
Uhlaender tried to gain points on the less competitive events like the NAC and Asian Cups after failing to make the U.S. World Cup team that was racing in St. Moritz, Switzerland that weekend.
The IBSF released the 2026 Olympic qualification results on Monday, Jan. 19. The top two ranked countries are allowed to send three athletes to the Games, the next four – two athletes, and the following 11 countries – one athlete, for a maximum 25 competitors.
Germany and Great Britain ranked in the top two, while U.S. and Canada qualified in third and sixth respectively, and will be allowed two athletes.
Skeleton athlete Kelly Curtis, who finished second at the World Cup event in St. Moritz, is ranked 16th overall and Mystique Ro 17th and will compete for Team U.S.A. at the Olympics.
Canadians Hallie Clarke is ranked 13th and Jane Channel 25th and will race for Team Canada.
Uhlaender is ranked 19th in the world in women’s skeleton and finished 18 points back of U.S. slider Ro.
“Notwithstanding the above conclusions, the IIU reminds the Canadian coach and the National Federation that, whilst acting within the letter of the IBSF Code of Conduct, it is expected that all parties concerned should also act within the spirit of the Code, whose aim is to promote fair play and ethical conduct at all times,” read the IIU decision.
Both the men’s and women’s individual skeleton events consist of four runs held over two consecutive days. The lowest cumulative time after all four runs wins.