BCS President Sarah Storey and high-performance director Chris Le Bihan have been accused of presiding over governance and culture failings by more than 80 current and former athletes from Canada.

A BCS offer of group mediation has been "outright rejected" by the disgruntled athletes, who have made their complaints public because of frustration at previous attempts to drive change which they claim "have never resulted in permanent and adequate change or restitution".

In a second open letter which criticised the BCS response to their demands, athletes claimed that following "years of being ignored, belittled, and ridiculed, we have no trust that the current leadership will do anything meaningful to address the toxic culture."

Athletes from the neighbouring United States have now backed these calls.

The USABS Athletes' Advisory Council "fully support the athletes of Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton and their request for change in order to compete in an environment that is supportive of athletes' physical, mental and emotional well-being", a statement read.

"After speaking with many Canadian athletes, we support our neighbors to the north in calling for the resignation of BCS President Sarah Storey and High Performance Director Chris Lebihan as we believe that will allow the athletes the best opportunity to continue to pursue the sports they love in an athlete-centric environment.

"We believe all athletes should have the opportunity to pursue Olympic and Paralympic sport devoid of a toxic and abusive culture.

"Furthermore, we request that the BCS athletes' request for a third party investigation to be honored and offer any assistance in this investigation."

The USABS Athletes' Advisory Council's message was shared by Kaillie Humphries, who switched allegiance from Canada to the United States three years ago following complaints of harassment. 

Humphries called for Storey and Le Bihan to lose their jobs, claiming they did not act when the athlete reported verbal and mental abuse she alleges to have suffered at the hands of head coach Todd Hays.

All three remain in their roles.

Humphries, who won monobob gold for the US at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, won an appeal at the Sports Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada last July to have her allegations investigated again, after it was found the original investigation ordered by BCS was not thorough, fair or reasonable.

Current complaints from BCS athletes centre on the "toxic" culture within the organisation.

Signees to the two open letters allege that "safety of athletes is not a primary concern", best practices and athlete feedback are disregarded when it comes to governance issues and that the organisation lacks transparency.

BCS vowed to schedule meetings with athletes when the first open letter was published, but its response has done little to build bridges and more past and present athletes have supported the calls for resignations and major organisational change.

Athletes are now demanding a "truly independent investigation" into the culture of BCS.

"The selection of any hearing body appointees or independent investigators must be appointed or agreed by the athletes", the second open letter adds.

National athletes' body AthletesCAN "fully supports the athletes' call for an authentic, independent investigation, with its findings made public in a written report", it said.

In a statement, the BCS Board of Directors told insidethegames: "The BCS Board acknowledges receipt of two anonymous letters from current and former BCS athletes. 

"We are committed to identifying and resolving the issues brought forward by athletes through a forum that encourages open dialogue and transparency, including the participation of BCS athletes and staff as well as other stakeholders who can bring valuable perspective. 

"We believe that constructive dialogue and a clear action plan will bring about positive change. 

"An independent mediation process has been initiated. 

"Athletes will be invited to participate in all aspects, including shaping the mediation process and sharing their views. 

"The BCS Board hopes that athletes will participate in this opportunity. 

"As an independent supporter of sport, Own the Podium supports this initiative as a path to encourage discussion and find solutions. 

"We look forward to engaging in meaningful dialogue in a setting that promotes openness and fairness for all."