Report: USOPC, SafeSport ailing
A commission charged with reviewing the Olympic structure in the U.S. is calling
for Congress to consider wide-ranging changes, including government funding of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, severing grassroots from the elite sports system and even removing the word “amateur” in a potential rewrite of the 1978 law that created the modern-day Olympic structure.
The commission, established by Congress in 2020, released a 275-page report, stating in part that “we need a better long-term vision for how we organize Olympicand Paralympic-movement sports in America.”
The tension between grassroots and elite sports is a common theme throughout the document. Untethering the two, the report argued, could benefit its two main targets for reform — the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the SafeSport center.
Bud Cauley, who was seriously injured in a 2018 car crash and is playing a tour event for only the third time in nearly 41⁄2 years, shot a sixunder 65 for a one-shot lead after 36 holes of the Cognizant Classic . ... Anthony Kim, in his first competitive round in 4,320 days, shot a six-over 76 and was in last place after the first round at LIV Golf Jeddah, trailing Jon Rahm and Adrian Meronk by 14 shots . ... Celine Boutier had a bogey-free eight-under 64 to take a onestroke lead after the second round of the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami won’t compete in the U.S. Open Cup and just eight MLS teams — including LAFC — will enter the 96team competition.
The Philadelphia Eagles released two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard in a salary-cap move, months after acquiring him from Tennessee . ... Washington released left tackle Charles Leno and tight end Logan Thomas. ... New England released cornerback J.C. Jackson.
The New Jersey Devils acquired defenseman Kurtis MacDermid from Colorado for a seventh-round pick and the rights to unsigned 23-year-old forward Zakhar Bardakov.
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev was knocked out in the semifinals at the Dubai Championships by Ugo Humbert, 7-5, 6-3, while Andrey Rublev was defaulted from his semifinal for yelling in the face of a line judge, allowing Alexander Bublik to advance to the final.
Three-time reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen qualified on the pole for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix . ... IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward signed a multiyear extension with McLaren Racing.
U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu, a member of the 2022 Olympic team, is making a comeback after nearly two years in retirement . ... Marco Odermatt stretched his World Cup giant slalom winning streak to 11 races in Aspen, Colo., and added that discipline’s season title to the overall title he clinched.