Just a note to bring you up to date on the USOC Athlete's Advisory Committee. I spent this past weekend in Denver at the first meeting of 2006, and there is certainly a lot going on in Olympic sport these days!

Highlights of the meeting include:

1. Summary of Torino Games

2. USOC Code of Conduct; update and enforcement 3. USADA Survey, and changes to the World Anti-doping Code 4. Athlete Service Coordinators needed for 07 University and Pan Am Games 5. "Clean" Venue for Trials

First of all, Torino. The Chef de Mission, Jim McCarthy, gave a very detailed report on both the achievements and frustrations of the US team in Torino. He said the USOC did a great job of preparing US athletes for competition under somewhat difficult circumstances; both housing and food were substandard, and communication and transportation were very difficult since there were three separate villages. Thanks to prior planning and a lot of leg work, the US team was well fed, comfortable, and was able to get to medals ceremonies and other events without too much frustration.

The biggest failing of the US team in Torino was the less tangible aspect of inspiring Americans by promoting the Olympic ideal. TV coverage was much less positive than in the past, and part of the reason for that (according to McCarthy) was that the USOC and our athletes provided lots of reasons to be negative. This in turn negatively impacts the "brand" of US Olympism, so it may affect all athletes if sponsorship (and hence funding) is reduced.

USOC Code of Conduct

The many occurrences of questionable behavior led to a lot of discussion over the weekend about the Code of Conduct, a document similar to the USSA Athlete agreement that all members of the Olympic team are required to sign.

Currently the Code is not at all specific; eg. "I will refrain from conduct detracting from my ability or that of my teammates to attain peak performance". Opinions varied widely about whether the language needed more specifics or whether the existing code was simply not well enforced. In simple terms, the USOC thinks the AAC should come up with a stricter Code; the AAC thinks the USOC should do a better job of enforcing the one they have. This was a little bit of a stalemate issue, unfortunately.

USADA Survey

The Anti-doping division of the AAC put out a very detailed survey last fall which was answered by 564 athletes. Sailing was well-represented thanks to the 49 of us who responded. Key findings were:

1. 2/3 of athletes surveyed had never attended a USADA education session.

Those that have find it useful.

2. Most athletes believe the Doping Control Officers are performing well.

3. The TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption) process is not clear for most athletes 4. Most athletes find the website more beneficial than the hotline.

Results of the survey will be shared with USADA, and hopefully it will help them to better educate athletes in the future.

Another quick USADA note: The USOC has not renewed USADA's long term contract and is currently paying them month by month. This is because USADA was not spending all of their research dollars. USADA is working to improve the situation and USOC is confident they will eventually sign another long term contract.

WADA Code

The World Anti-doping Code is being updated for 2008, and input is being encouraged at all levels. The first round of input is due July 1. If you have any comments to make about how the WADA code should be changed or improved, please let me know. You can either write in directly as an individual or submit your comments through the USOC. (This is the time to speak up if you want the Athlete Locator Forms to be coordinated between USADA and WADA so we don't have to fill out the same information twice.)

Athlete Service Coordinators (ASC)

Any athlete who has competed at the Olympic or PanAm level within the past 10 years is now eligible to apply for the position of Athlete Service Coordinator at one (or more) of the following 2007 events: World University Games, Paralympic World University Games, Pan Am Games, and Paralympic Pan Am Games. The ASC serves as a liaison between USOC and the athletes. If you are eligible and interested in applying for these positions please let me know.

One last issue that I hope will be addressed by a resolution from the AAC, which could affect many of us:

For 2008 the USOC plans to enforce the "clean" venue rules, which state that no logos other than USOC sponsors can be visible at US Olympic Trials. The rules are already on the books but have never been enforced at smaller Trials. The AAC feels that this interferes with an athlete's ability to give personal sponsors visibility at the Trials, and I'm hopeful that a resolution will soon make that position clear to the USOC.

If you have questions or comments about any of this, please let me know.

Cheers

Carol

Carol Cronin

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