Probst said that the BOD is continuing its search for a permanent CEO to replace Scott Blackmungetty images
USOC Chair Larry Probst "urged the group charged with monitoring athlete abuse among U.S. amateur sports to move faster while responding to reports of abuse as the organization grapples with ways to better handle the many complaints about sexual assault occurring in the sports it oversees," according to Dan Murphy of ESPN.com. Probst said that the USOC BOD "spent a large part of its quarterly meeting Wednesday hearing about the pillars of an 'athlete safety action plan' that includes both short- and long-term plans to protect athletes from abuse." The board discussed when it would be "appropriate for the USOC to take a more active approach in helping and monitoring national governing bodies, such as USA Gymnastics, as they deal with abuse issues." They also heard from reps from the "under-resourced" U.S. Center for SafeSport and told them to "add the tools they needed to pick up the pace in helping athletes who report abuse." The USOC "doubled its SafeSport funding" to $1.5M annually in late February. Along with the increased funding, the USOC has contributed $1.3M to a "victim's assistance fund" run by USAG. Acting USOC CEO Susanne Lyons said that the USOC is "looking into how it might more proactively interact with those groups in the future." Lyons was in DC on Wednesday to "attend a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on what role the USOC, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State" played in allowing Larry Nassar's abuse to "continue unchecked for more than two decades." Meanwhile, Probst said that the BOD is "continuing its search" for a permanent CEO to replace Scott Blackmun. He said that the search committee is "making good progress" (ESPN.com, 4/19).
