How American Katie Uhlaender was denied Olympic bid by Canadian coach's point scheme

"The latest Olympic sports scandal began in mid-January when Katie Uhlaender, a veteran of five Winter Games, showed up at the sled track in Lake Placid, N.Y. It was the American skeleton racer's final shot to win enough points to qualify for the Milan Cortina Games. Uhlaender told NPR that just before the make-or-break competition began, she received a text message from the head coach of Canada's skeleton team, Joe Cecchini."

"The message said he had bad news for her. The text was concerning enough that when Cecchini called, Uhlaender arranged to record their phone conversation. In that recording, shared with NPR, Cecchini appears to be laying out a plan to manipulate the point system used by sledders to qualify for the Olympic Games. "We've had some crazy races that have not gone our way this year," Cecchini is heard saying. "And I'm like, I can just eliminate any possibilities here.""

"Athletes competing in Lake Placid were awarded qualifying points depending on how well they raced. Uhlaender was lightning fast that week. She rocketed headfirst on her sled down the winding ice-covered track. But under international rules, the points awarded to each athlete drop dramatically if fewer athletes compete. At the last minute, Cecchini withdrew four of the Canadian team's six female skeleton sledders. When that happened and despite her dominant performance, Uhlaender received far fewer points."

Katie Uhlaender, a five-time Winter Olympian, arrived at Lake Placid for a final qualifying race for Milan Cortina. Just before competition, she received a text from Canada's head skeleton coach Joe Cecchini and recorded a subsequent phone call in which Cecchini appears to outline a plan to manipulate the Olympic qualifying point system. Canadian officials withdrew four of six female skeleton sledders at the last minute, reducing field size and lowering points awarded to competitors. Uhlaender posted dominant runs but received 90 points instead of 120 and missed Olympic qualification by 18 points. Cecchini voiced apparent regret in the recorded call.

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