Navratilova is among the new group of former Olympians advocating for changeGETTY IMAGES
Nearly 50 former Olympic athletes are "calling on Congress to overhaul" the USOC, insisting a major reorganization is "needed to ensure athlete safety" moving forward, according to Scott Reid of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. The Committee to Restore Integrity to the USOC on Friday "demanded the near-complete resignation of the USOC’s senior administration and board of directors, in addition to asking Congress to rewrite the 1978 Amateur Sports Act and create a more athlete-centric governing body for American Olympic sports." Referring to itself as Team Integrity, the committee said that the USOC has "continued to prioritize corporate interests and public-relations concerns ahead of athlete safety and has been slow to react to issues." The committee "in particular took issue with the recent appointment of Rich Bender and re-appointment of Steve Mesler to four-year terms" on the USOC BOD. The committee is led by former Olympians Ed Williams and Nancy Hogshead-Makar and includes Martina Navratilova, Greg Louganis, Bill Stapleton and members of the '84 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team (ORANGE COUNTRY REGISTER, 1/5).
