Once the events start there is a
whole forum section for discussion, but perhaps a thread here would be good until then.
Some hijinks in skeleton qualifying:
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/26/sport...x-newtab-en-us
Quote:
Skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender says she should have been going to the 2026 Olympics in Italy next month. As a veteran of five Winter Games from 2006 to 2022, sliding in Turin, Vancouver, Sochi, PyeongChang and Beijing, the American would have made history by competing in a sixth.
What denied her entry to the Milan-Cortina Olympics was her final qualification event in the North American Cup earlier this month at Lake Placid, where several Canadian competitors were withdrawn at the last minute. Despite Uhlaender winning the race, the sudden reduction in the number of athletes competing had reduced the amount of qualification points available, leaving her just short.
Uhlaender accused the Canadian team and its coach, Joe Cecchini, of intentionally withdrawing the athletes, deliberately manipulating the field to benefit one of their own sliders’ bids for qualification.
Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton denied anything untoward, telling CNN Sports in a statement, “BCS remains confident that its actions were appropriate, transparent, and aligned with both athlete welfare and the integrity of the sport.” Cecchini didn’t respond to CNN Sports’ request for comment.
Skeleton’s governing body also dismissed Uhlaender’s complaint, but she wasn’t the only athlete to have been negatively impacted at Lake Placid and, since then, an increasing number of national teams have rallied behind her.
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I'm not sure why any athlete would spend any time in a ####hole fascist country if it didn't benefit them. Hard to feel bad for this American crybaby considering she already did the Olympics in Italy 20 freaking years ago!