• US Government Bill launched in Congress today will review the suitability of 40-year-old Olympic Committee legislation for today's athletes.

• Global Athlete becomes Supporter of new Commission due to the promise it holds for deep-rooted advances for Olympic and Paralympic athletes right across the USA and internationally.

• Putting athletes first is a fast-growing trend in international sport, and we are pleased to see the United States leading the way for other countries to follow', said Global Athlete Director General, Rob Koehler.

17 June 2019: The new international athlete-led Movement for change in sport Global Athlete has today pledged its backing to a new United States Government Bill that establishes a Commission to review the state of affairs for Athlete Rights in Olympic and Paralympic Sport.

The Bill, revealed today in the United States Congress, commits to an in-depth review of the suitability of the 40-year-old US Olympic Committee Legislation, particularly with regards to the health and wellbeing of today’s generation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The Bill arrives nine years before the Olympic and Paralympic Games return to the U.S. (Los Angeles 2028) and at a time of intense interest in advancing athlete rights ranging from greater representation, to better handling by authorities of bullying, harassment and abuse.

“Global Athlete is pleased to back the introduction of today’s US Government Bill to review the state of Olympic and Paralympic Sport in the United States,” said Global Athlete Director General, Rob Koehler. “Putting athletes first is a fast-growing trend in international sport, and so we are delighted to see the United States lead the way in assessing the suitability of athlete rights across American Olympic and Paralympic sport. Where the United States leads, I hope other countries will follow because the health and well-being of athletes is something we can, and must, all get behind,” added Koehler.

The introduction of the Bill in Washington D.C. today will see a Commission conduct a study on matters relating to the state of U.S. participation at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a specific emphasis on the rights of athletes and minorities. As part of its work, the Commission will assess: the diversity of United States Olympic Committee (USOC) members including whether it extends to a suitable level of athlete representation; the participation levels of women, disabled and minority athletes; and an assessment of whether the United States Center for Safe Sport effectively handles reported cases of bullying hazing, harassment, and sexual assault.

The Bill will see the Commission conduct its work over 270 Days, following which it will present a report on the results of the study under including a detailed statement of findings, conclusions, recommendations, and suggested policy changes.

ENDS

About Global Athlete

Global Athlete is a new international athlete-led movement aiming to inspire and drive change across the world of sport. As a movement run by athletes, for athletes, Global Athlete’s goal is to balance the power between athletes and sporting leaders, and to enable athletes to have their say about the way in which sport is run. Global Athlete aims to inspire and change sport for the better and bring it into the twenty-first century by mobilizing athletes, following the recent unprecedented uprising in which athletes have called for enhanced rights and changes to the way sport is governed.

Athletes who are passionate about seeing change in sport and want to start a conversation on how they see the future of sport are encouraged to sign-up at the Global Athlete website: http://globalathlete.org/

Media Information

For more information on Global Athlete, or for interview requests with Rob Koehler or a member of the Global Athlete Start-Up Group, please contact Communications Consultant, Ben Nichols:

E: media@globaathlete.org

M: +44 (0) 7555 538475