Lawyer: Olympic committee rowing inquiry focuses on former Cal coach
An independent investigation into questions surrounding the U.S. men’s rowing program based in Oakland has focused on four-time Olympic coach Mike Teti, according to a lawyer representing some of the former athletes involved.
San Diego lawyer William Caldarelli said Tuesday investigators contacted athletes who had experiences with Teti, who coached at Cal from 2008-2018 and is preparing rowers for the Tokyo Olympics this summer. According to a news release, Caldarelli is part of a legal team representing rowers involved in independent inquires into the practices of USRowing, the sport’s national governing body.
“Some of these athletes were willing to speak with the attorneys conducting the current investigation on behalf of the U.S. Olympic Committee on a confidential basis,” Caldarelli said in the news release. “Others, however, were not.”
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee hired national law firm Arent Fox to conduct an independent review of allegations that the rowing program had a culture of fear and distrust.
Arent Fox lawyers sent letters to rowers on Jan. 8 alerting them to the investigation, which the letter said also covers the selection of the Olympic team, the mental and physical health resources needed by elite athletes and how USRowing allocates financial assistance.
In an email to the Bay Area News Group on Sunday, Teti said he was aware of the inquiry and “will participate in the review as I fully support their efforts to help USRowing and our athletes. In the meantime, I remain focused on preparing the men’s team for the best possible performance in Tokyo this summer.”
Teti is a three-time Olympian who was part of the men’s eight boat that won a bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Games. He is the first person inducted into the U.S. National Rowing Hall of Fame as an athlete and a coach.
Teti, 64, left Cal in 2018 to take over the national team program that uses the Golden Bears’ rowing facility on the Oakland Estuary. The United States men earned berths for the Tokyo Games after finishing fifth in both the four and the eight boats at the 2019 World Rowing Championships.