美国国家公共电台 NPR Calls For Widespread Change Challenge Incoming Head Of U.S. Olympic Committee

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NOEL KING, HOST:

The new leader of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Sarah Hirshland, starts work on Monday. That organization has been criticized for how it has dealt or not dealt with sexual abuse. As Alexandra Starr reports, some advocates say that to create a safer environment for athletes, the USOC will need to change its economic model.

ALEXANDRA STARR, BYLINE¹: Han Xiao is a former elite² table tennis champion who now chairs the Olympic Athletes Advisory³ Council. He's basically a union rep for athletes. Last month, he testified before Congress along with other sports officials, including from the U.S. Olympic Committee. Xiao said he didn't think change was coming.

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HAN XIAO: It's not a failing necessarily of the organization. I think it's a failing of the entire system, the way it's set up.

STARR: When he finished speaking, the crowd erupted into applause. Weeks later, Xiao was still stunned⁴ by the response.

XIAO: I didn't expect applause at a Senate subcommittee hearing.

STARR: The audience included dozens of victims of the former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, Larry Nassar. He's in prison now for molesting⁵ hundreds of girls and women under the guise⁶ of medical treatment. Xiao argues that scandal is an example of how the USOC has misplaced priorities.

XIAO: Athletes are struggling just to stay above the poverty line in many instances; athletes being sexually abused, struggling with mental health and depression without much support - all of these are just indicators⁷ to us that athletes are not a clear priority of the organization.

STARR: One perennial⁸ complaint from many elite athletes is that they don't receive sufficient financial support. According to the USOC, about 8 percent of its budget goes directly to athletes. Alan Ashley, the chief of sport performance at the USOC, argues that figure is misleading. He says the organization provides all kinds of support that doesn't come in the form of cash.

ALAN ASHLEY: When you layer in the cost of training, the cost of competition, the cost to hire coaches, the access to the training centers, that's a lot of direct support.

STARR: One way the USOC encourages success is by providing a medal bonus to athletes. Employees at the USOC also have their compensation tied to the performance of Team USA. The more medals athletes win, the higher their salaries. Ashley took home roughly half a million dollars in 2016 when the U.S. dominated at the Summer Olympics in Rio. USOC staffers also see a decline in pay if Team USA fails to meet expectations. Ashley says this approach helps USOC employees stay invested in athletes' success.

ASHLEY: Let's focus our efforts on that. It must be measured as to whether we're doing a good job there or not.

STARR: Some athletes are skeptical⁹. Caroline Lind is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing. She says she had minimal¹⁰ interaction with USOC personnel.

CAROLINE LIND: So it seems a little absurd to me that there's some person who has, like, no connection to us as athletes that's getting bonuses based on our winning.

STARR: Even though she won consistently, Lind says her monthly stipend¹¹ topped out at a little more than $2,000. She claims, at one point, her funding was cut almost by half even though she had recently won at major international competitions. The low level of support and the fact that it could change at any moment made Lind feel that her standing¹² was precarious¹³.

LIND: It sort of makes an atmosphere where you don't really feel comfortable speaking up.

STARR: These issues - athlete support, abuse and the medal count - will all fall under Sarah Hirshland's purview¹⁴ as she takes over at the U.S. Olympic Committee.

For NPR News, I'm Alexandra Starr.

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