Canadian bobsleigh champ Humphries released to join US team

The Canadian bobsleigh federation announced Saturday that it finally agreed to separate from two-time Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries, who wants to continue her career in the United States after filing a harassment complaint against a Canadian coach.

"The Board of Directors at Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton have decided to grant Kaillie´s request for a release from our program," the federation said in a statement.

"This was not an easy decision," it acknowledged, adding that all relevant factors were taken into account "in this important and complex decision of releasing a medal-potential athlete to one of our top competitors".

Earlier this month, a Canadian judge denied the Olympic champion's request that the legal system forces the Canadian bobsleigh federation to let her go to the United States.

The judge in charge of the case had decided that the federation had all the authority to choose whether or not to let the athletes compete for other countries.

The 34-year-old filed a harassment complaint in August 2018 after claiming to have suffered verbal and mental abuse from Bobsleigh Canada's head coach, according to media reports.

Humphries, who won Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, did not compete in any events last season after becoming estranged from the Canadian team following the harassment allegations.

She married mid-September with Travis Armbruster, a former member of the American Bobsleigh team.