
In June of 2022, there occurred probably the most encouraging sign yet since the dark days of the Nassar/Penny/Károlyi regime that indicates USA Gymnastics is truly attempting to transform the organization’s governance and the the management of the US national elite program to include the interests and perspective of the athletes themselves. That sign was when Alicia Sacramone Quinn and Chellsie Memmel were appointed to top USAG leadership positions. Memmel, 2008 Olympian and former world champion, was appointed USAG’s Technical Lead of the women’s high performance program, while teammate and captain of that 2008 Athens Olympic team Sacramone Quinn was named the USAG Women’s Program Strategic Lead. Joined by current coach of USAG’s Developmental Program Dan Baker, the three form a managing triumvirate to replace the single executive model, a role previously filled by High-Performance Director Tom Forster until his resignation in late 2021.
Memmel retired in 2012 but staged an amazing comeback in 2020, competing in the US National Championsip at the age of 32. Even if one only considers her prior achievements and her contribution to the sport in the US, Memmel deserved to be petitioned to the 2021 Olympic Trials, ahead of some of the also rans with no realistic chance of making the team (the poobahs probably only wanted a good look at the greener gymnasts to see how they performed under pressure, too impatient to wait for City of Jesolo 2023). In denying Memmel’s petition, USAG foolishly missed a dynamite opportunity for a heartwarming, inspirational story during the trials of Chellsie’s astounding comeback, providing some really great PR at a time when the sport could have used every little bit of good coverage it could get (& as a bonus, helping to chip away a little at the negative image of women’s gymnastics as a sport dominated entirely by prepubescent teens). Nevertheless, Memmel’s contribution in this new leadership position will surely be of more profound & lasting value than her appearance at Trials would have been.
But I digress. Suffice to say that I was very pleased two weeks ago when I saw Sacramone Quinn still teamed up with John Roethlisberger for the first weekend of the 2023 NCAA season, because the one negative side of Alicia’s USAG appointment for me was that her new job would take her away from broadcasting. What a relief that it didn’t. Wouldn’t it be great if ABC/ESPN had the rights to the Olympics & Worlds? Oh, well, one can dream, can’t he?
Congratulations Alicia & Chellsie, and bravo to USAG for making such a unexpectedly smart decision.
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