USA Gymnastics responded to the USOC's move to revoke its status as a member governing body, noting in a statement that its board was seated in June and "inherited an organization in crisis," according to Armour & Axon of USA TODAY. The statement said that the board has taken steps to "change the leadership and is conducting a search for a CEO 'who can rebuild the organization and, most importantly, regain the trust of the gymnastics community.'" Silver Medal-winning U.S. gymnast Jonathan Horton tweeted that he was "glad the USOC decided to act." He wrote, "Now, we can really come together as a community and make this sport the way we want it. This is a great move forward!" Armour & Axon note the USOC is known to have "revoked the recognition or cut off the funding of an NGB only three times -- with taekwondo, team handball and modern pentathlon" (USA TODAY, 11/6). Horton said that the USOC's notice yesterday came as a "surprise to members of the board of directors with whom he spoke." Horton: "I want a new organization to come in that will provide the means necessary for a new generation to be successful and to be safe. They need to wipe the slate clean. There are people involved in USA Gymnastics that I have known since I was a child. But as much as I like them, they are not doing a good job" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/6).
PENDING LAWSUITS: In California, Scott Reid cites sources as saying that there is a possibility USAG could file for "bankruptcy as the organization’s financial future becomes increasingly uncertain in the wake of dozens of lawsuits and resistance from insurance carriers" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 11/6). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Bachman & O’Brien note the move to decertify comes as civil lawsuits in California -- filed by former Olympic gymnasts including Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, both of whom were abused by Larry Nassar -- "proceed with depositions of former USOC and USAG officials." Those lawsuits "raise the specter, for the organizations, of lengthy court battles and hefty settlement payments" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/6).
NOT AN EASY PROCESS: In Indianapolis, David Woods notes there is an "urgency" involved with the decertification process, not only because Olympic teams will be selected in 19 months, but the process to qualify for the '20 Tokyo Games on "individual apparatus is about to begin" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 11/6). The AP's Eddie Pells notes the move could "leave a void that cannot be easily filled." In addition to "supporting elite and Olympic athletes, and selecting teams and coaches for international competitions, USA Gymnastics serves more than 150,000 athletes in 3,000 clubs around the country." There is "no other organization standing by to fill that need" (AP, 11/6). In N.Y., Juliet Macur notes the move is rare and "used only as a last resort." It was "not immediately clear how the USOC would handle the operations of the gymnastics federation while a potentially lengthy decertification process unfolds." The USOC has to "appoint a review board, hold a hearing, wait for the review panel to issue a report, and then the USOC board would hold a final vote on decertification" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/6).
FURTHER EXAMINATION: In Colorado Springs, Tom Roeder notes banning USAG could "send shock waves through the rest of Olympic sports even as the committee reviews its relationship with the 50 governing bodies that make up Olympic sports." A blue-ribbon panel led by former WNBA President Lisa Borders is "examining the relationship between the USOC and the many sports organizations it charters." That report is "due back next year," but USCO CEO Sarah Hirshland decided "not to wait before making the gymnastics move" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 11/6).
LOOKING AHEAD: YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel wrote it should be a "fresh start for a new era of gymnastics." Whatever form the new governing body "holds going forward, and whatever commitment to transparency it embraces, it must work with the Olympic champions who carry such powerhouse voices." This "doesn’t make up for the mistakes of the past." It does signify that the USOC has "no more patience for half-attempts at reform or reconstruction" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/5). USA TODAY's Christine Brennan writes this decision by the USOC has been "long-awaited and entirely fitting." If decertification does in fact take place, USAG will "receive the fate it richly deserves" (USA TODAY, 11/6).
