USOC moves to shut down USA Gymnastics after Nassar scandal

The U.S. Olympic Committee is moving to revoke USA Gymnastics’ status as the governing body for the sport at the Olympic level, meting out the nuclear option to an organization that has botched its own reorganization in the wake of a sex-abuse scandal involving former team doctor Larry Nassar.

In an open letter to the gymnastics community Monday, USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland said “you deserve better,” and that the challenges facing USA Gymnastics are more than it is capable of overcoming as currently constructed.

The organization, even with a newly constructed board of directors, made repeated mistakes after the revelations Nassar molested Olympians while working as a volunteer.

They included the botched hiring of a program coordinator and an interim CEO to replace Kerry Perry, who lasted less than a year on the job after replacing Steve Penny.

Tennis

DJOKOVIC BACK ON TOP >> Novak Djokovic returned to No. 1 on Monday after a two-year absence and is assured of becoming the first man in the history of the ATP rankings to finish a season at the top spot after being outside the top 20 during that season.

That’s because the man he overtook, Rafael Nadal, is done for 2018. Nadal withdrew from the ATP Finals on Monday, citing an abdominal injury, and announced he was having arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle.

Djokovic will be the ATP’s year-ending No. 1 for the fifth time, pulling even with Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors for the second most since the computer rankings began in 1973. Pete Sampras holds the record of six.

The 31-year-old from Serbia fell to No. 22 in May after beginning the year with a 6-6 record while recovering from surgery on his right elbow. He hadn’t been ranked that low since he was 22nd in 2006 as a teenager.

But Djokovic has gone 43-5 since, including Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open after reuniting with Marian Vajda, the longtime coach with whom he had split.

Djokovic raised his haul of major trophies to 14, tied with Sampras for third most in men’s tennis history behind Federer with 20 and Nadal with 17.

Nadal hasn’t competed since he retired from his U.S. Open semifinal against Juan Martin del Potro because of a painful right knee.

The 32-year-old Spaniard ends 2018 with a 45-4 record and five titles, including an 11th French Open championship in June.

John Isner replaces Nadal in the ATP Finals field.

Boxing

MAYWEATHER TO FIGHT JAPANESE KICKBOXER

>> Floyd Mayweather is planning on fighting Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa on Dec. 31 in Saitama, north of Tokyo.

Mayweather is 50-0 in his boxing career but has never fought professionally under MMA rules. Although he did have a lucrative win over MMA fighter Conor McGregor last year.

Japanese promoter the RIZIN Fighting Federation on Monday said rules and the weight class for the bout have not been set.

The 20-year-old Nasukawa, speaking at a news conference alongside Mayweather, called it “probably the biggest event of my life so far.”