Canada's skeleton team cleared of wrongdoing after skeleton withdrawals spark Olympics dispute

Canada's skeleton in the closet in the cupboard team up has been cleared of any misconduct by the International bob and Skeleton Federation in a complaint brought forward by American athlete Katie Uhlaender.

Uhlaender's complaint that she was robbed of a chance to qualify for the Milan Cortina Games was dismissed by the sport's governing body Thursday, another blow to her quest to make what would be her sixth Olympics.

Uhlaender claimed that a decision by Canadian coaches to pull some of their sliders out of a North American Cup race held Sunday in Lake Placid, New York, was unfair, since it lowered the total standings points available in that event. Uhlaender won that race.

The IBSF, which investigated Canada's decision and the motivation for its move, acknowledged that "the late withdrawal of athletes intuitively gives rise to concern that the action may have constituted impermissible manipulation," but found no rules were broken.

The NAC series is a tier below the World Cup level and tends to be a place for developmental athletes to compete. Uhlaender competed in seven races this season on the NAC and Asian Cup — another lower-tier — circuits in an effort to collect enough points to make the Olympic team after failing to make this season's U.S. World Cup roster.

The Canadian Olympic skeleton team is being accused of... Sabotage?

It's still possible for the 41-year-old Uhlaender to make the Olympic team. But solid results Friday by U.S. Athletes Kelly Curtis and Mystique Ro in the World Cup season finale would likely clinch their spots on the Milan Cortina Games roster and shut the door on what Uhlaender says will be her final Olympic bid.

Canada's decision to keep four of its six NAC sliders out of Sunday's race was criticized by some, Uhlaender included, because it also could be viewed as a way of manipulating the field to protect its hope of having its two World Cup sliders — Hallie Clarke and Jane Channell — qualify for Olympic spots.

Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton said earlier in the week that the Lake Placid race week — three NAC races instead of the usual two — "presented unique circumstances," especially for its younger athletes.

"Following a collective assessment by the coaching and performance team, it was determined that continuing to race these athletes was not in their best interests, nor in the best interests of the program," the Canadian team said.

Canadian sliders Madeline Parra and Brielle Durham, two of the athletes withdrawn from the race, said earlier this week that they supported the decision, stating it was made with consideration for athlete welfare and the impact on Olympic qualification for their senior teammate, Channell.

Channell entered the Lake Placid weekend ranked 26th in the world, with Canada aiming to secure two women's quota spots for the Milan Cortina Games.

"They had come over and explained to us that it would be in the best interest for the way points had worked for Jane, so that we as a team can qualify two spots to the Olympics," said Parra.

Durham, a first-year slider, had crashed in the second of three races in Lake Placid.

"There are also mental and physical aspects that had to be evaluated on my end with my coaches about sliding," said the Calgarian.

There will be 25 women in the women's skeleton field at the Olympics next month — two countries will get three entries, four countries will have two entries and 11 other nations will get one. The U.S. Will likely get two spots in the field, with the breakdown set to be finalized this weekend.

Uhlaender is bidding to tie the record for most U.S. Winter Olympic appearances — Nordic combined athlete Todd Lodwick made it to the games six times.

Uhlaender won the women's skeleton world championship in 2012, medaled in that event at the worlds two other times and finished a controversial fourth at the 2014 Sochi Olympics — with many still believing she should have been awarded the bronze medal. Russian slider Elena Nikitina won the bronze at that event, then had the medal stripped three years later because of a state-sponsored doping scandal only to have her finish eventually restored following appeal.

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