Integrity And Culture 2021

The culture of sport is evolving, and we’re dedicated to transforming the Team USA experience so athletes can continue to achieve their greatest potential. We aim to be a leader, both in speaking out when our values need a voice, and in listening to athletes when they call for change.

All Olympic and Paralympic athletes are promised the opportunity to a fair, safe and level playing field. At the USOPC, we are working to help athletes collect on this pledge through resource support, accountability and transparency.

Athlete safety is paramount to the USOPC and National Governing Bodies (NGBs). We are committed to providing a positive and safe environment and building a culture of trust. To achieve this, we are focused on strengthening education and prevention measures to create an environment free from abuse.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has exclusive jurisdiction on all reports of sexual and child abuse and discretionary jurisdiction on emotional and physical misconduct allegations within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. In 2021, we increased our funding to the Center to $20 million, which included $2.6 million in contributions from NGBs. This fulfilled our shared obligation per the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act.

The USOPC and NGBs are subject to an audit by the Center each year. After an audit, an organization may be required to take corrective actions. You can review the results of the USOPC audit here.

Compared to fall 2020, more athletes know how to report misconduct than prior. As we look ahead, we are focused on continuing to establish trust so athletes feel more comfortable using these resources.

At the end of the year, we were grateful to be able to play a leading role in reaching a comprehensive settlement for the sexual abuse survivors against former gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nassar. We have tremendous respect for the strength and bravery these women have shown.

We hope the settlement helps provide a sense of closure and serves as an important step in a difficult healing process. Reaching this resolution is one important piece of the transformation that is taking place within the USOPC. We have also enacted significant reforms and strengthened protections for athletes, for example, through our Athlete Safety and Advocacy Plan.

*Based on 116 athlete responses out of 956 athletes invited to participate

In 2021, we launched our Integrity Portal – a platform for athletes and others to report concerns involving the USOPC or NGBs in an easy, confidential and safe way. This proactive tool is helping us better identify and address compliance issues in the Olympic and Paralympic community.

This year, we worked closely with our Athletes’ Advisory Council, the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the Office of National Drug Control Policy to drive meaningful reform for the World Anti-Doping Agency to become a stronger, more independent regulator and protector of clean athletes’ rights. Read about some of these changes here, which we believe set the groundwork for further progress.