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≡ USOPC BOARD MEETING ≡
“I have to confirm that USA Badminton has been decertified as the National Governing Body, and as such, the USOPC has assumed oversight of badminton high-performance programs.
“You may know, we went through extensive process; our certification review group, which is the group that makes determinations about certifications of NGBs, met and evaluated all of the actions and activities that USA Badminton had taken since we issued our letter to them suggesting all of the deficiencies.
“They did not, unfortunately, satisfy the terms that were agreed upon, and that, automatically, essentially resulted in decertification.
“So, it is not an ideal situation for Team USA athletes. We are committed to providing funding and resources to help support these athletes, as we also seek to build or find partnership with an entity that can be a strong, healthy, ongoing concern to support the sport of badminton in this country.
“And I will only add that while we have no details to offer, I have a great deal of optimism that we’ll get there.”
That’s U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee chief executive Sarah Hirshland during a Wednesday afternoon news conference, declaring the latest step in the USA Badminton saga … which is not over.
The case had been ongoing since 2019 with discussions for a couple of years prior. On 28 May, the USOPC asked USA Badminton to voluntarily resign as the National Governing Body of the sport in the U.S. That didn’t happen, so the USOPC de-certified the federation itself; Hirshland did not give a date and the filing has not yet been posted to the USOPC’s Governance document site.
While Hirshland said the search is on for a successor, USA Badminton has the right under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (36 USC §2205 et seq.) to ask for arbitration in the matter. USA Badminton has made no announcement concerning decertification on its Web site.
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The news conference featured USOPC Chair and International Olympic Committee member Gene Sykes and Hirshland and Sykes spoke directly to the ongoing tug-of-war between the World Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, following the Senate subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday:
“We applaud the Senate Committee for raising this subject and for seeking answers. We firmly support Travis Tygart and USADA for continuing to provide U.S. athletes with education and with levels of service that make participation and adherence to the World Anti-Doping Code as transparent and streamlined as possible.
“At the same time, we want to emphasize the importance of an effective global infrastructure, governed by the World Anti-Doping Agency that serves all athletes, while instilling confidence in competitors and fans alike. That is a goal we can all strive for, and the USOPC is a key partner to all who support this effort.”
Asked about the extra language about the supremacy of WADA in anti-doping matters that was added by the IOC to the Host City Contract for the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City during the award of the Games in Paris last year, Sykes explained:
“We did not feel any pressure at all. We were asked to include language that was already included in the Host City Contract, which had already been agreed to. …
“There’s nothing exceptional or extraordinary in any of that, and I don’t expect any issue with regard to the Utah performance or any odd doubt about the opportunity for Utah to host the 2034 Games.”
As for ever settling the conflict between the sides, Sykes took a “glass half full” approach:
“I actually have more optimism. I think the fact that both Travis Tygart and Dr. [Rahul] Gupta offered testimony in front of the Senate was useful. I think the Senate [subcommittee] asked the right questions about WADA behaving in a way that can offer respect for everybody in the Movement, for WADA, that WADA can be both professional and widely regarded as the arbiter of the World Anti-Doping Code. That’s what we’ve always wanted.
“And this is not the U.S. vs. WADA, it’s definitely not that at all. I think it’s a matter of making sure that WADA is able to do its job well, to the satisfaction of athletes all around the world, in all sports. And I’m optimistic that we’ll arrive at that conclusion. I think there are a lot of people who have that objective as well.”
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Hirshland spoke at some length about the continuing turmoil at leading NCAA Division I universities in the aftermath of the House vs. NCAA settlement approval, noting
“The power of collegiate athletics was very clear during the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, where 75% of Team USA Olympians and 53% of our Paralympians were current or former collegiate athletes. … Their success really underscores the importance of preserving the pipeline that supports their development in these critical years of athletics.”
As for the prospects of Congressional action to support keeping Olympic-sport programs:
“We believe there is a meaningful opportunity to create policy that empowers institutions, athletic associations and conferences to continue investing in a broad portfolio of sports. We are engaged with these leaders in this conversation and with the right framework, we feel confident that Congress can help assure that Olympic and Paralympic sports, and the athletes who rely on them, are protected and not sidelined.
“We encourage thoughtful integration of compensation provisions alongside support for sports sponsorship within the [proposed] SCORE Act, ready to partner with the NCAA, the institutions and the NGBs in the effort to preserve and protect Olympic and Paralympic sport on campus.”
And she was optimistic:
“Today, we have no reason to believe that we don’t have real alignment there from all the parties, including members of Congress, who have indicated to us a very real concern for Olympic and Paralympic sport, and the preservation of the strength of our system, and what Team USA is benefitting from today. We know that the NCAA and the conferences are feeling the same.
“Now the challenge is, can we have language that doesn’t provide for the wrong incentives or unintended consequences that lead to sports being cut, or resources being allocated in a different way that would hurt or harm Olympic and Paralympic sport.”
Hirshland was also asked about access to the U.S. for the 2028 Olympic Games in view of increasing restrictions from the Trump Administration on entry to the country. She cited continuing assurances from Washington that the U.S. will be a responsible and welcoming host.
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