Ex-Canadian bobsled star Kaillie Humphries sworn in as American citizen, clearing her to compete for U.S. in Beijing

Kaillie Humphries is now, officially, an American.

And just like that, the U.S. medal hopes in bobsledding at the Beijing Olympics just got much stronger.

The reigning world champion in both monobob and women’s bobsledding was sworn in as a citizen in San Diego on Thursday, ending her long saga to become an American and have the right to compete for the U.S. at the Olympics.

She does not yet have her passport, but that is likely to be little more than a formality. Without the passport, there was almost no chance the Canadian-born Humphries would have been allowed to slide at the Olympics.

“Most stressful morning ever, but it’s done,” Humphries told The Associated Press from the plane as she was leaving San Diego.

It was a whirlwind finale to the process. Humphries raced in a World Cup stop at Austria this past weekend. She got to Altenberg, Germany for this week’s race on Monday, did the two necessary training runs Tuesday that she needed to qualify for World Cup races this weekend, then made the 5-hour drive to Frankfurt for a Wednesday morning flight to San Diego.

Her citizenship meeting was Thursday, and not long afterward, she was back on a plane for the return to Europe.

“I think she’s super excited,” U.S. bobsled coach Mike Kohn said in a telephone interview from Germany. “She’s had a great couple of years with us. I think she’s going to just really shine now. I think, the uncertainty, it’s held her back a little bit. I think it’s held us all back.”

Humphries — a two-time Olympic champion and three-time Olympic medalist, all won for Canada — lives in San Diego, has held a green card and is married to an American, former bobsledder Travis Armbruster.

She won the right to slide for the U.S. in September 2019 after a lengthy and ongoing dispute with Canadian bobsled officials over claims of verbal abuse, mental abuse and harassment. Humphries left the Canadian team, she said, to seek a safer work environment.

Joining the U.S. team was not an easy decision, especially…