Skeleton’s Uhlaender overcomes Olympic challenges once again

BEIJING (AP) — It’s never been easy for U.S. skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender.

Her resume suggests that she’s made it look easy. Uhlaender is a five-time Olympian.

She joins snowboarders Shaun White and Lindsey Jacobellis and curling’s John Shuster as the only members of this U.S. team in that club.

She’s a past world champion, a past World Cup champion, and was the top-ranked American woman on the skeleton circuit this season.

Not bad for a 37-year-old who just happens to be the oldest American female athlete competing in the Beijing Olympics.

But it hasn’t always been fun.

That is the hallmark of Uhlaender’s story. Especially in Olympic years.