Category: ethics

GymCastic episode 363

If you blinked and missed USAG’s hiring and firing of Professor Edward Nyman as its full-time sports medicine and science director — a new position — Jessica has got you covered.

Another hire where vetting was bungled.

The podcast reviews two other recent issues:

  • Terin Humphrey posting and defending a dumb, wrong meme on Facebook. Terin was was a member of the selection committee that chose women’s teams for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
  • Mary Lou Retton‘s recent TV appearance. Recall that Mary Lou lobbied against  Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act as a USAG Board Member. Happily it was signed into law February 14, 2018. Mary Lou seems still in denial that children were abused.

In addition was new CEO Li Li Leung’s wrong statement that gymnasts who saw the criminal doctor with their coach were safe. Leung did later apologize.

363: Five Is the New Four (…Is the New Five)

Minsk, Belarus will host European Games

Artistic Gymnastics – June 26-29, 2019.

Minsk is the capital of Belarus which declared independence from the USSR in 1991.

The leader since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko, is considered something of a dictator. Hopefully hosting all of Europe will help the nation improve human rights.

Click PLAY or see Minsk on YouTube.

Related – Rio 2016 trampoline gold medallist Uladzislau Hancharou is from Belarus.

(via Lisa Deen)

FIG commits to 30% plus female leadership

… To tend towards gender equality, the FIG decided to introduce a minimum 30% quota of each gender in the 2020 electoral process for its own governing bodies. …

Jacqueline Briggs-Weatherill, president of the FIG Women in Gymnastics Commission:

“We can see so many women as athletes, coaches and judges in Gymnastics, so their number could naturally grow in leadership and executive positions. The world is changing fast. The opportunities will be there for millennial women, so we need to help them step up.”

First forum guides women on pathways to leadership

the Caster Semenya debate

The majority of experts I’m hearing feel Caster should be allowed to compete against women.

Caster Semenya has claimed gold in the Diamond League‘s 800m women’s final, in what was her last race before the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) imposes controversial new rules limiting testosterone in female athletes.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) this week dismissed an appeal by the South African to set aside the IAAF’s regulations, which will require athletes with differences in sex development to take medication to reduce their testosterone levels.

The new rules, which have sparked a fierce backlash, will come into effect on Wednesday.

Yahoo

… After the race, Semenya was asked by the Daily Mail’s Riath Al-Samarrai whether she plans to take medication to comply with the IAAF’s regulations and she said, “Hell no.”

BBC’s Ade Adedoyin was told by Semenya that she has no plans to retire and plans to compete at the IAAF World Championships in September.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Miss USA on the “Me Too” movement

North Carolina’s Cheslie Kryst, 28, won the Miss USA pageant on Thursday and was celebrated online after supporting the “Me Too” and “Time’s Up” movements onstage during the pageant’s question period. …

The Hill 

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

At the Heart of Gold – May 3rd on HBO

I had high hopes for new USAG CEO Li Li Leung.

She asked to be judged not on her words, but her deeds.

Shortly after that statement USA Gymnastics bungled the vetting of a first full-time director of sports medicine and science. That’s a position that would truly help the organization.

A bigger test will be how Li Li Leung handles the public response from Erin Lee Carr’s new documentary. Producers Dr. Steven Ungerleider and David Ulich began this project before the criminal doctor’s accusers came forward.

At the Heart of Gold argues that Nassar succeeded despite the many complaints against him because the people who could’ve done something about them never acted on them.

He belonged to a system that protected him and cared more about his importance in winning gold medals than the wellbeing of the girls he harmed.  …

‘At the Heart of Gold’ centers survivors as it condemns those who protected Larry Nassar

Future of the U.S. Olympic Movement

Reimagining Goals Beyond Medals

Date – Wed May 22, 2019
Washington, DC

Some argue that heightened focus on medals laid the groundwork for the sexual abuses that emerged in USA Gymnastics, which has caused deep soul-searching at the USOC and the sport-specific national governing bodies (NGBs) it oversees.

What’s next for the U.S. Olympic movement, as reforms are introduced?

What if the USOC focused first and foremost on the safety and well-being of athletes while also growing opportunities for all, not just those with medal potential? …

Aspen Institute

Shannon Miller will be one of the speakers.

whatever happened to MSU’s John Engler?

Recall the disgraced President of Michigan State University?

Forced to resign after bungling the Larry Nassar sexual assaults scandal?

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos just named him to a four-year term on the National Assessment Governing Board.

Rather than be surprised, recall that DeVos weakened rules intended to protect victims of sexual misconduct on college campuses. Both Engler and DeVos would discourage victims from coming forward. 😟

related – One bit of good news from MSU – With Engler GONE, the University is doing plenty on campus in support of April Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Li Li Leung interview

In my opinion, too many are too quick to criticize.

Give the woman a chance.

Let’s judge the actions of USAG, not every word of every interview.

Can Li Li Leung Save USA Gymnastics?

After years of turmoil in the sport, the new president and CEO wants to overhaul the culture.

Her salary is $450,000 / year and as much as $90,000 in annual bonuses. Almost as much as D-D.