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While we compete as one country, we are also one world. We strive to be the best representatives of the United States and great citizens of the world, committed to playing a leadership role in the global Olympic and Paralympic movements.
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In 2022, 11-time Olympic medal winner and the most-decorated female athlete in Olympic track and field history, Allyson Felix, was one of four Olympians appointed to the athletes' commission of the International Olympic Committee by President Thomas Bach – furthering our commitment to ensure that athletes voices truly are at the heart of the Movement. Joining Allyson Felix were fellow Olympians Alistair Brownlee, Oluseyi Smith and Masomah Ali Zada.
As part of this, the USOPC convened an International Sport Relations Task Force of more than 60 experts to help to support the long-term health and sustainability of the Olympic and Paralympic movements. The Task Force concluded its work in June with several recommendations focused around strengthening the Movement and increasing the importance of fairness. These goals have been incorporated into the USOPC long-range International Relations Strategy, and include leveraging events to inspire and engage, enhancing athlete resources and support, encouraging sport inclusivity and bolstering Paralympic sport event structure.
We also elected five individuals to new positions at the international level – Beau Welling, President, World Curling Federation; Max Cobb, Secretary General, International Biathlon Union; Kim Rhode, Vice President, International Shooting Sports Federation; Allyson Felix, IOC Athletes’ Commission and Clare Egan, World Anti-Doping Agency Athletes’ Commission – and re-elected Pat St. Peter, Council, International Skating Union.
As we look to welcome the world to Los Angeles in 2028 and position the U.S. for a successful Winter Games bid for Salt Lake City in 2030 or 2034, we are working to thoughtfully create a welcoming community where anybody from anywhere in the world will feel at home and that they have the conditions to compete at their highest level.
“ While the people of the global Olympic and Paralympic movements are from different nations, it's not a movement of nations, it's a movement of people. Athletes give all their focus to athletic performance and the ability to compete. This is not just true for Americans, it's true for athletes all around the world. ”
Gene Sykes, Chair, USOPC Board of Directors
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While each country’s team competes as its own, we ultimately come together as members united under one Movement. Over the past year, we collaborated with many of our partners to provide a safe haven for Ukrainian athletes amid turmoil in their country.
We worked with the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation to welcome members of the Ukrainian Curling and Free Style Skiing Teams in Colorado, providing housing and training support to Ukrainian athletes at venues used during the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002.
We also partnered with the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training center to host athletes and support staff leading up to the 2022 Ukrainian Athletics World Championships, as well as provide support as it relates to visas, accommodations, access to training facilities, sports medicine, therapy, meals and more.
In addition, the USOPC, USA Wrestling, United World Wrestling, Olympic Solidarity and the NOC of Ukraine supported Ukrainian athletes in the leadup to the United World Wrestling Freestyle World Cup. We hosted a training camp for the Ukrainian National Wrestling Team in Colorado Springs, with the team ultimately claiming its first Women’s World Cup title in the United States in 2022.
