Katie Uhlaender gained support from 12 countries after Team Canada's withdrawal allegedly cost the American skeleton athlete her sixth Olympics qualification.

U.S. skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender was hoping to be the first woman to compete in the Winter Games six times for the U.S., but fell short of qualifying. She's not giving up.

The governing body for the winter sport of skeleton, the International Bobsled Skeleton Federation (IBSF), has dismissed complaints that the Canadian women’s team and its coach Joe Cecchini engaged in competition manipulation at the North American Cup race in Lake Placid last weekend.

Former U.S. skeleton athlete John Daly was once asked why anyone would decide to hurl themselves, head first, down an ice-coated mountainside chute on a thin sled with no safety equipment other than a helmet.

Learn how Olympic skeleton competition works — from the structure of heats and timing rules to how medal winners are determined across men’s and women’s events at the Winter Games of Milan Cortina 2026.

The late withdrawal caused formal complaints from some other countries. The rival nations alleged that Canada’s coach Joe Cecchini scratched the four development-team athletes from the final day of racing in Lake Placid merely to protect Canada’s Olympic second-quota place for Milano Cortina 2026.

U.S. skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender has asked the International Olympic Committee for a wildcard into the 2026 Winter Olympics after Canada's skeleton team withdrew ​four athletes from a competition earlier this month,