USOC to manage Paralympic Skiing

Mon, Dec  20, 2010 - By USSA

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) have announced a transition in the management of elite Paralympic alpine and cross country skiing.

Effective Dec. 20, the USOC will assume governance and management responsibility for high performance and development services while the USSA will continue to provide membership services to athletes.

The management model is similar to the structure currently used by the USOC and other National Governing Bodies to successfully manage Paralympic track and field, swimming and cycling. It allows for focused support of elite teams while also leveraging the USOC’s direct connection to the International Paralympic Committee, leaders of Paralympic skiing globally.

"After careful consideration and consultation with the USSA, we determined that the best way to serve elite adaptive ski racers and grow Paralympic skiing in the U.S. was through a hybrid model of management," said Charlie Huebner, USOC Chief of Paralympics. "The USSA has done an amazing job supporting both Olympic and Paralympic athletes and we will continue to work closely together to ensure Team USA’s success.

"The USSA takes great pride in its role in pioneering adaptive ski racing," said USSA President and CEO Bill Marolt. "The opportunity for the U.S. Olympic Committee to manage the sport under its hybrid management model will be a great benefit to adaptive skiing athletes as it has in other top sports such as track and field, swimming and cycling."

In the past decade, international governance of the sport itself has shifted to the International Paralympic Committee. With the growth of the USOC's Paralympic Division over that same time, it is now in the best position to manage the sport through its relationship with the IPC.

U.S. Paralympic skiing athletes achieved strong results in Vancouver when six athletes took home 12 medals including two gold, five silver and five bronze.