Diversity within the Team USA roster of athletes competing at the Pyeongchang Games is "significantly up" compared to past Winter Games, according to Martin Rogers of USA TODAY. The U.S. has 11 Asian-American athletes and 10 black athletes among its 243 members, still a "far lower ratio than the number of U.S. minority athletes in the Summer Games but the highest number it has sent to any Winter Olympics." The USOC has "made distinct efforts to promote diversity" over the past six years, and progress "is starting to show." USOC CEO Scott Blackmun in '12 "highlighted diversity as an issue to be improved." Bobsled has become a "significant success story for black athletes," and U.S. bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor has "played a role in actively recruiting minorities to the sport." Meanwhile, Erin Jackson will become the "first black woman to represent the U.S. in long track speedskating," while Maame Biney is the "first black woman on the short-track team." Asian Americans have "enjoyed high levels of achievement in figure skating and short-track speedskating" (USA TODAY, 2/9). USOC Dir of Diversity & Inclusion Jason Thompson said, "We’re not quite where we want to be. ... Full-on inclusion has always been a priority of Team USA. I think everybody’s always felt it should represent every American." In DC, Rick Maese noted Team USA's contingent for a Winter Games is "typically much smaller than its summer counterpart, but the demographic differences are striking." The U.S. "took more than 550 athletes" to the '16 Rio Games. Of that group, "more than 125 were African American" -- about 23% (WASHINGTON POST, 2/5).
ON THE OTHER SIDE: FOXNEWS.com's John Moody noted a USOC official was quoted this week "expressing pride about taking the most diverse U.S. squad ever to the Winter Olympics." Moody wrote that was followed by an "embarrassing laundry list of how many African-Americans, Asians and openly gay athletes are on this year’s U.S. team." He noted no sport "awards points -- or medals -- for skin color or sexual orientation," and for the current USOC, a dream team should "look more like the general population." Moody: "While uncomfortable, the question probably needs to be asked: were our Olympians selected because they’re the best at what they do, or because they’re the best publicity for our current obsession with having one each from Column A, B and C?" (FOXNEWS.com, 2/7).
