Canada judge rejects bobsled champion's bid to compete for USA

A Canadian judge has rejected a request by Olympic bobsled champion Kaillie Humphries to pursue her career in the United States, CBC television reported Tuesday.

Humphries, one of the sport's top drivers, had taken legal action to compel the Canadian federation to grant her leave to compete for the US team, after lodging a complaint about sexual harassment in her home country.

But the judge in charge of the case instead decided that the federation had all the authority necessary to choose whether or not to let its athletes compete elsewhere.

Following the verdict, Humphries' lawyer Jeffrey Rath said: "She's obviously very disappointed."

The 34-year-old said Team Canada no longer wanted anything to do with her after she lodged her harassment complaint in August 2018, but said it was refusing to release her to compete for Team USA.

An internal investigation into the sexual harassment and discrimination complaint is underway by Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, a spokesman for the federation previously told AFP.

Humphries, who took Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, has not divulged any details about the harassment allegations she filed.

She was married Saturday in the United States to a former member of the American bobsled team, Travis Armbruster.