★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ “LETTER TO THE MEMBERSHIP” ≡
On Tuesday, USA Track & Field posted a statement on its Web site titled, “Letter to the Membership,” which explained that the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee sent a letter on 18 December 2024 – 18 months ago – “regarding allegations of potential noncompliance by USATF with the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act and NGB Compliance Standards.”
The federation hired one of the law firms recommended by the USOPC, Beveridge and Diamond, which performs compliance audits, to inquire into the USOPC allegations.
The result, according to USATF:
“This spring, B&D completed its independent report, reviewing it first with the USATF Board Audit Committee and then the full USATF Board of Directors in May. B&D’s independent investigation did not find financial fraud, misappropriation of funds, election misconduct, or conflict of interest violations.
“The B&D independent report did identify a series of recommendations to improve systems and processes in USATF’s budgeting, expense, and election procedures.”
The statement also noted that “Over the course of the last year, B&D interviewed twenty-one people and reviewed thousands of pages of documents.”
USATF chief executive Max Siegel’s comment included, “This investigation validated what we knew all along; there was no fraud or financial malfeasance.”
Asked for a copy of the report, USATF Chief Content and Communications Officer Jeff Holder explained that “The report will not be released. As we work through the recommendations, we will share any appropriate updates.”
Observed: While American track & field athletes continue to be the best in the world by far, their federation has struggled financially. The 2025 financial statements and tax return have not been posted – usually not until November or December – but the 2024 audited financial statement shows the federation with negative net assets of $6.1 million, with total assets of $29.7 million. This despite record-smashing revenues of $44.59 million.
An introduction to the 2024 financials noted that “USATF anticipates an operational surplus in 2025.” This would have been due in part to USATF taking over Paralympic track and field in the U.S. in 2025 and receiving “conditional funding totaling $14,150,000, in annual installments through 2028” from the USOPC. About $3.7 million was expected in 2025.
But no announcements on a financial success in 2025.
In December, The Sports Examiner reported on the suspension the memberships of Board members Kristie Killough-Ali, an independent director, and Jere-Summers-Hall, the elected Chair of the USATF Athletes Commission since December 2024.
Former Olympic triple jump champion Mike Conley, a former USATF Board Chair, also had his membership suspended, related to his involvement in a suit against USATF by former staff member Jim Estes, pertaining to the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials.
In response to our story, USATF issued a response which stated that hearings would be held regarding membership suspensions and that, “While USATF does not believe in discussing personal business matters in the public forum, we do believe in facts and transparency.”
A check of the USATF Board list shows that Killough-Ali has departed, but that Summers-Hall is shown once again as the Athletes Commission Chair. No public announcement on her reinstatement has been noted, but she was selected as an “Event Manager” for the USATF staff at the 2025 NACAC Championships in The Bahamas.
In view of so little publicly-available information – and USATF is hardly the only U.S. National Governing Body that practices silence as policy – the most that can be gleaned from the USATF’s cryptic announcement is that it has a continuing revenue problem and spending problem, but apparently is not being stolen from.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 681-event International Sports Calendar for 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
