The USOPC has agreed to allow the direct election of USOPC board members by the Athletes' Advisory Council and two other groups, a major concession to critics who think the board is too insular and unresponsive to athlete needs. Also, the board will have five current or retired athletes, up from three now. The AAC will elect three members and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Association, an Olympian alumni group, will elect two retired athletes. Also, the National Governing Bodies Council will elect three members.
Previously, the ACC and the NGBs could merely forward names to the board for final action. Going forward, that means up to eight members of the USOPC BOD will be directly elected by entities outside of USOPC circles, comprising a majority of the voting power. The rest of the votes would be held by five independent directors chosen by the board, plus IOC and IPC members from the U.S. Changing the rules was a proposal that grew from reform panels created after the Larry Nassar/USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal, and is a big win for athlete advocates.
