Bobsled race to the bottom

Kaillie Humphries is both asset and liability for Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, and that surely complicates its potential next steps.

The 34-year-old driver is a proven winner whose self-centred demands have alienated teammates and taxed coaches and staff. For years, Bobsleigh Canada has found workarounds, both subtle and overt ways of managing her dominant personality inside the fluid dynamics of a national team ecosystem. And she has consistently found ways to win medals and championships.

But every bobsled ride comes to an end; this one has already been a long and damaging trip, and it’s impossible to envision anything but more carnage at the finish line.

Even though Bobsleigh Canada officials have said as recently as Tuesday morning they want her back on the national team, that sled has sailed.

“The issue is, why would she stay?” said her lawyer, Jeffrey Rath. “They’ve made her life a living hell. They’re trying to drag this out. They’re trying to keep her from competing against Canada this year.”

On Tuesday, a Calgary judge denied Humphries’ application that would have forced Bobsleigh Canada to provide her with a release letter, the document that would have completed the process for her to compete for USA Bobsled in the coming World Cup season. She already lives in the U.S. and has obtained an acceptance letter from USA Bobsled, fulfilling two other International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation requirements for transferring from one federation member to another.

“She’s obviously disappointed with the decision and the fact that Bobsleigh Canada continues to act in such a grossly unsportsmanlike fashion,” said Rath, who added that Humphries will now seek to have her case heard by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada and simultaneously ask the IBSF for a waiver of the release condition, since she is essentially an uncarded free agent. IBSF officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, a Calgary court announced the independent investigation into Humphries’ complaints against head coach Todd Hays, high performance director Chris Le Bihan and president Sarah Storey had found none of her allegations constituted harassment. That report was made public on Tuesday. Humphries could not be reached for comment.

On a third front — because that’s how complex this situation has become — Humphries’ lawsuit against Bobsleigh Canada, which she filed in Calgary Sept. 11, remains active, and the sport organization is required to file a statement of defence by Oct. 1.

Would Humphries consider dropping the suit if Bobsleigh Canada released her?

“We’re always open to negotiation,” said Rath.

Bobsleigh Canada could end the drama by sending Humphries a release letter. Or it could try to freeze her out of the World Cup season by doing nothing of the sort. It is loathe to part ways with a winner but must recognize the dangers in dragging this out and in trying to bring her back.

“Our mandate is to develop world and Olympic champions. This is what we do. Kaillie is obviously a world and Olympic champion. We want Kaillie in our program,” said Le Bihan. “Kaillie is obviously going to be a threat in the next Olympics and there is nothing more we like to see other than Canadians on the podium.”

They certainly don’t like to see bobsled’s underbelly exposed in a courtroom.

“In these situations when our sport gets dragged into the public eye like this, there (are) no winners in this scenario,” said Le Bihan. “We’re happy that we’re at a place where a decision has been made and we can move forward into considering what Kaillie is asking for.”

Bobsleigh Canada’s board told Humphries it wouldn’t grant her release before the harassment investigation was complete and the report submitted. Imagine how that would have looked, cutting loose an athlete who had made allegations of verbal and mental abuse against the current head coach. Bobsleigh Canada would have been skewered, and rightly so. Also, feel free to wonder how coincidental it is that the report landed Monday, the very day Humphries and Bobsleigh Canada were in court to argue over her release.

This hasn’t been a pleasant public ride through the mud for anyone associated with the sport in Canada, including Hays. Then-USA Bobsled CEO Darrin Steele offered his support for his former coach in a Sept. 11, 2018 letter to Storey. USA Bobsled consolidated men’s and women’s head coaching positions into one and Hays’ contract was not extended.

“Some of the athletes who lacked mental toughness were critical of Mr. Hays, but they were the same athletes who were unable to deliver the excellence he expected,” wrote Steele. “Todd Hays is one of the best coaches in the world and he is not only eligible for rehire to the U.S. program, it is expected that he return to the U.S. program at some point in the future.”

And in case you’re wondering why Bobsleigh Canada didn’t simply resolve the issue by welcoming Humphries back in May, when she sent them a letter outlining her desire to return to competition subject to certain conditions, here are just a few of the five pages worth of costs and conditions she sent them:

She wanted $21,180 in retroactive carding money for the 2018-19 season in which she declined to compete. She wanted her own full-time pilot coach/head coach at an extra cost of $75,000 annually. She wanted her own part-time push coach at an extra cost of $20,000 per year for two years and then full-time in the Olympic year at $70,000. She wanted Bobsleigh Canada to pay for her own therapist at a cost of $50,000 in the Olympic year. And, she wanted the agency to appoint a liaison, a replacement high performance director as she put it, so she would have no direct contact with Hays, Le Bihan or Storey. Bobsleigh Canada said no.

Humphries wanted it all her way. She is entitled to her opinion, her feelings, her safety and her day in court. She is not entitled to run the show.