(Reuters) – Double Olympic gold medalist Kaillie Humphries wants to compete for the United States and has filed a lawsuit against Bobsleigh Canada to obtain her release, according to a CBC report https://www.cbc.ca/sports/kaillie-humphries-bobsleigh-canada-harassment-… on Friday.
Humphries, who last year filed a harassment complaint against Bobsleigh Canada and stepped away from competition, told the CBC she has been waiting for weeks to be released, but cannot wait any longer.
“It was a very hard decision, it still is a very hard decision to get to this point,” Humphries told CBC. “At the end of the day, I have to be who I am, I have to be strong.”
Humphries, according to the CBC report, is suing the national governing body for blocking her release and breaching their contract relating to the athlete and coach code of conduct.
International Olympic Committee requirements state that an athlete who changes their nationality may compete in the Olympic Games to represent their new country if at least three years have passed since they last represented their former country.
Humphries, who won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics before picking up a bronze at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, is marrying American Travis Armbruster, a former member of the U.S. bobsleigh team, on Saturday.
According to the CBC report, the 34-year-old Canadian also plans to attend a U.S. bobsleigh training camp in Lake Placid as a guest next week.
USA Bobsled and Skeleton did not immediately respond when asked to comment.
Humphries, who also won gold at both the 2012 and 2013 world championships, did not describe what type of harassment she was alleging in her complaint but did describe her workplace environment as “impaired”.
Bobsleigh Canada, which forwarded Humphries’ complaint to an independent investigator, said it would not comment until the investigation process is complete.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)
