Latest news with #USAGymnastics
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Olympic Gymnasts Headline U.S. Roster For 2025 Pan American Championships
PARIS, FRANCE: JULY 28: Hezly Rivera of the United States performs her balance beam routine during ... More Artistic Gymnastics, Women's Qualification at the Bercy Arena during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games on July 28th, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) Another international stage awaits the nation's top artistic gymnasts. USA Gymnastics has named the athletes who will represent Team USA at the 2025 Pan American Artistic Gymnastics Championships, set for June 12–15 in Panama City, Panama. As one of the year's premier international competitions, the Pan American Championships serve as a crucial stepping stone for gymnasts aiming to earn spots at the 2025 World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia. Though a new Olympic cycle is underway, both the men's and women's rosters feature familiar faces from the 2024 Paris Games, bringing experience and star power to the international stage. MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 26: Tiana Sumanasekera awaits a turn on the floor exercies area at the ... More Women's U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team Trials podium training session on June 26, 2024 at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. (Photo by Matt Blewett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera and Olympic alternate Tiana Sumanasekera headline the six-athlete women's lineup. U.S. National team members Dulcy Caylor, Jayla Hang, Gabrielle Hardie, and Alessia Rosa (alternate) will join them in Panama. Rivera was the rookie in Paris at just 16 years old, earning an Olympic gold medal as a member of the star-studded team dubbed the "Golden Girls.' Despite her age, Rivera emerges in 2025 as a newfound veteran for the U.S. National Team. In February, Rivera competed on only the balance beam at the U.S. Winter Cup. Though she struggled on the event, she showed upgraded difficulty and increased scoring potential. Fans hope to see the Olympian compete on all four events in Panama. June's competition will mark Rivera's first trip to the Pan American Championships and presents an opportunity for the rising star to prove her potential. Like Rivera, Tiana Sumanasekera emerges as a potential leader for the 2025 U.S. team. The UCLA Gymnastics commit excels on balance beam and floor exercise, and has her sights set on earning her first World Championship appearance later this year. Sumanasekera has excelled at the Pan American Championships before, winning the team, all-around, and balance beam titles at the 2023 edition in Medellín. Though initially slated to compete at February's Winter Cup, Sumanasekera withdrew from the event days prior. Thus, June's competition will mark her first appearance at a sanctioned meet since the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Though the two Olympians will lead the team, Hang is also one to watch. The 17-year-old has already collected two gold medals at this year's World Cup circuit, one on vault and another on floor exercise. Caylor, a 2024 Olympic Trials qualifier, is also a notable addition to the team. US' Asher Hong competes in the floor event of the artistic gymnastics men's qualification during the ... More Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP) (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images) Rivera isn't the only Olympic medalist heading to Panama City. Asher Hong, a key contributor to the U.S. men's historic bronze medal in Paris, will lead the newly selected men's team at the Pan American Championships. Taylor Burkhart, Taylor Christopulos, Brandon Dang, Joshua Karnes, and Junnosuke Iwai (alternate) will join Hong at June's competition. Hong has been a key catalyst in the U.S. men's team's rise to international competitiveness. In addition to helping Team USA to its first Olympic medal since 2008, the 21-year-old helped clinch the nation's first World team medal since 2014. Known for his versatility across multiple disciplines, Hong recently led the Stanford Cardinal to a second-place finish while clinching individual NCAA titles on still rings and floor exercise. Now back on the elite stage, Hong and his teammates hope to make their case for Jakarta while in Panama City. Christopulos, the bronze medalist at February's Winter Cup, recently received the Nissen-Emery award for the nation's top senior NCAA gymnast. Burkhart, Hong's teammate at Stanford, won gold on floor at March's Antalya World Cup event. Dang also collected gold this year, winning the pommel horse at the 2025 Baku World Cup. Though streaming details remain unavailable, more information about the event will become available on the FIG website in the coming weeks.
Indianapolis Star
05-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
New law requires police to investigate child abuse reporting failures at institutions
Show Caption New law requires police to investigate if schools, gyms and other facilities failed to report child abuse allegations against staff members and volunteers. The legislation initially included tougher penalties for failing to report, but the Senate scrapped that provision. Everyone in Indiana is required to report suspected child abuse, but prosecutions are rare. Gov. Mike Braun has signed into law a measure intended to improve the reporting of child abuse in Indiana, although it's scaled back from its original form. The new state law requires law enforcement to investigate whether a failure to report has occurred when there is an allegation of abuse or neglect against a staff member or volunteer of a school, gym, day care, hospital or other institution. The law also restricts who can delegate their duty to report. The measure, House Bill 1412, was introduced by Rep. Becky Cash, R-Zionsville. It was inspired in large part by IndyStar's 2016 investigation of USA Gymnastics, the sport's national governing body that is headquartered in Indianapolis. That investigation uncovered allegations against national team doctor Larry Nassar and found that USA Gymnastics failed to report concerns about sexual abuse of its athletes to authorities. "It was clear that despite being mandated reporters in the state of Indiana, these reports had not been made, and many young lives were devastated," Cash said while introducing the legislation earlier this year. "A question remains: If we are all mandated reporters, where was the fallout for those who knowingly failed to make the reports?" The initial version of the legislation would have toughened penalties for employees or volunteers of institutions who fail to report abuse, but that language was removed in the Senate. As a result, failing to report remains a class B misdemeanor, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $1,000 fine. Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo, is the lawmaker who proposed removing the stiffer penalties. As a foster parent and an emergency room doctor, he said he takes concerns about child abuse seriously. But he said he wanted to allow lawmakers to gauge the impact of the other changes in the measure before increasing the punishment. "I wanted to be careful about taking it one step at a time," he said. Everyone in Indiana is required by law to immediately report suspect child abuse or neglect to police or the Indiana Department of Child Services, but prosecutions for failing to report are relatively rare. IndyStar found fewer than 30 convictions across the state over a five-year period from 2018 to 2023. Cash noted that although DCS can remove children from dangerous situations, the agency doesn't have any criminal authority and can't prosecute people. She said she hopes that requiring law enforcement involvement in cases involving allegations of institutional abuse will prevent any reporting failures from falling through the cracks. The new law takes effect on July 1.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Disgraced Olympic Gymnastics Coach Set To Return From Suspension
Gymnastics - Olympics: Day 10 Coach Maggie Haney congratulates Lauren Hernandez #393 of the United ... More States after performing her routine which won her the silver "n medal in the Women's Balance Beam Final during the Artistic Gymnastics competition at the Rio Olympic Arena on August 15, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) Maggie Haney, the former Olympic gymnastics coach suspended for abusive conduct, is now permitted to resume training athletes for USA Gymnastics competitions after serving a five-year ban from sanctioned training and competition. Haney's suspension ended on April 30, 2025. Over half a dozen families alleged 'physical, verbal, and emotional abuse' perpetrated by Haney and her assistant coach, Victoria Levine, at MG Elite Gymnastics in Morganville, N.J. Known for coaching 2016 Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez and World gold medalist Riley McCusker, Haney was initially suspended for eight years in 2020 after a three-person panel appointed by the Ethics and Grievance Committee found she had 'repeatedly emotionally and verbally abused young athletes." Although complaints about Haney's abuse first surfaced in 2016, USA Gymnastics did not initiate a formal investigation until 2019. Hernandez's mother, Wanda Hernandez, was the first to report the allegations after overhearing her daughter's concerning conversation with a teammate about Haney's behavior. In that moment, Hernandez opened up to her mother. 'She sat me down, and I gave in and told her everything," the Olympian said in a social media post. 'She wrote it down and immediately sent it to USA Gymnastics.' However, Hernandez's allegations only came to light three years later after reports mounted from fellow concerned parents and athletes. In Spring 2019, McCusker's mother urged USA Gymnastics' general counsel to contact families who had left Haney's gym, citing that they had also experienced issues with Haney and Levine's coaching. The initial reaction was mixed, with some families adamantly supporting Haney. The father of 2024 Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera called Haney's suspension 'the biggest scapegoat story." However, half a dozen families joined the list of accusers, also alleging verbal abuse and overtraining to the point of injury. Speaking live at the 2020 disciplinary hearing, Hernandez detailed the emotional abuse she endured under Haney's supervision. '[Haney] would humiliate me in front of others without a doubt, constantly make comments about me gaining weight,' she shared, adding that her coach would 'curse' at Hernandez and force her to train on multiple injuries. In a separate interview with The New York Times in 2020, Hernandez elaborated on the emotional pain inflicted by the abuse. 'I thought I deserved all of it," she said. "The toughest part about it was that there were no bruises or marks to show that it was real. It was all just so twisted that I thought it couldn't be real.' Riley McCusker, a national uneven bars champion and 2018 World Championship team gold medalist, submitted a written testimony. She later filed a lawsuit against Haney, alleging negligence and emotional distress. US Riley McCusker (L) is hugged by her coach Maggie Haney after making her routine in the Artistic ... More Gymnastics Women's Uneven Bars Final to win the gold medal during the Lima 2019 Pan-American Games in Lima, on July 30, 2019. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP) (Photo credit should read LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images) The suit claimed Haney and her assistant coach forced her to train through multiple injuries, including a severe case of exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis—a life-threatening condition caused by muscle breakdown due to overtraining. Though Hernandez and McCusker were the most prominent participants in the hearing, multiple families alleged abuse under Haney, reporting that 'athletes were forced to remove casts and train on injured limbs." (Orange County Register). Multiple interviews reported how Haney pulled athletes by the hair, used crude language to berate students, and even threatened to commit suicide if gymnasts attempted to leave her team at MG Elite. Though the reported abuse was rampant, parents were forbidden from accessing the gym during team practices, instilling a culture of fear and secrecy for young athletes. 'The kids were afraid to speak up,' a former coach said. Haney was initially given an eight-year suspension, which was later reduced to five years after an arbitrator ruled that parts of the testimony used in the original decision were inadmissible. With the ruling, Haney was barred from USA Gymnastics membership and prohibited from coaching its athletes or working within member clubs throughout her suspension. Therefore, none of her athletes were permitted to compete at the nation's premier elite competitions, notably the U.S. Classic and U.S. Championships. While Haney was prohibited from attending competitions or training athletes for USA Gymnastics events throughout the suspension, she continued to coach at MG Elite Gymnastics until her suspension officially ended on April 30, 2025. Now that her suspension has been served, Haney enters a two-year probationary period, during which she may resume training athletes for USA Gymnastics-sanctioned competition and attend sanctioned meets. Haney must also complete 'specified courses overseen by the United States Center for SafeSport," an organization committed to fostering a sport culture free from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and misconduct. Only after completing these steps may she reapply for full reinstatement.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jordan Chiles Wasn't 'Able to Move' After ‘Devastating' Olympics Medal Controversy: ‘I Still Struggle to Talk About It'
Jordan Chiles is opening up about the 'devastating' impact of having the bronze medal stripped away from her after the Paris Olympics last summer. The 23-year-old U.S. gymnast opened up about the Olympic controversy in a new ESPN profile piece surrounding the release of her debut memoir, I'm That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams, last month. "It's still a struggle to talk about it," Chiles tells ESPN, detailing the impact the incident had on her mental health. "Six months ago, I was not able to move." The UCLA gymnast adds later in the story: 'I was stuck in my bed. I was mentally gone, mentally not okay.' Chiles was stripped of the bronze medal she initially won in the women's floor competition last August. The series of events began after Chiles was first awarded fifth place in the event, two spots off the podium. Chiles' USA Gymnastics coach Cécile Canqueteau-Landi then submitted a request for a second review of the athlete's score, asking the Olympic judges to take into consideration the difficulty of her routine. Related: Jordan Chiles Reveals Her Plan If She Doesn't Get Her Olympic Medal Back The judges agreed with Landi and then reshuffled the standings, awarding Chiles the bronze medal and leading to Chiles, silver medalist Simone Biles and Brazilian gold medalist Rebeca Andrade standing side-by-side on the podium. After the event, two Romanian gymnasts filed an appeal on the judges' rescoring, arguing that Landi's initial inquiry into Chiles' score came seconds too late. The decision was arbitrated by several sports bodies, including the International Olympic Committee, the International Gymnastics Federation and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A judge for the CAS ultimately ruled in favor of the Romanians, and led to the IOC requesting Chiles ship her bronze medal back, stripping her of the title while she was in the middle of a week of media appearances celebrating what she told ESPN was the accomplishment of a 'lifelong dream.'"I can still feel the joy and happiness I had when I won the bronze medal," Chiles told ESPN's Alyssa Roenigk. "I was happy that I was able to stand on that podium with Simone and Rebeca because that's a lifelong dream of a little girl. But now, some days I don't get to think that way." Chiles also revealed in the piece that she has not sent back the medal. She and her lawyers are still fighting the ruling, per ESPN, and her appeal over the most recent decision is currently in the hands of the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. According to the outlet, a ruling on Chiles' petition could take years. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Oregon native also admitted she debated ever returning to competitive gymnastics after the incident last summer. "I thought, 'There's no way I'm going to compete on a competition floor again,' " she said. "I'm going to get looked at. People are going to yell crazy things. The negativity is just going to keep coming.' Related: Jordan Chiles Reveals Which of Her 2024 Olympics Teammates Still Texts Her for Fashion Advice (Exclusive) In her new book, Chiles writes about the moment she found out she was being stripped of the bronze medal.'I'm surprised everyone couldn't hear the sound of my heart breaking, because it absolutely did,' Chiles writes, describing the moment she found out while in an Uber. 'My brain stopped even functioning within my body. Somewhere faraway, I could see my mom shaking her head, and hear her saying 'Why? Why!' " Read the original article on People
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Comcast (NasdaqGS:CMCSA) Extends Partnership With USA Gymnastics Through LA 2028 Olympic Games
Comcast saw its stock price rise by 4% over the last month, amidst several significant developments. A key factor was the continuation of their partnership with USA Gymnastics, extending the Xfinity brand's role as the official provider through 2028, supporting the national teams for the LA 2028 Olympic Games, and sponsoring the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Meanwhile, the broader market faced turbulent conditions, with concerns over rising inflation and weakening consumer sentiment. Despite the downward pressure on major indices, notable sector moves and strategic announcements from Comcast helped bolster investor confidence amidst an otherwise challenging market environment. You should learn about the 2 risks we've spotted with Comcast (including 1 which is concerning). Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. Comcast's shares delivered a total return of 22.82% over the five years, reflecting a period of consistent growth supported by various business strategies and innovations. During this time, Comcast implemented a bundling strategy, bolstering convergence revenue through enhanced broadband offerings and strategic investments like Project Genesis, which improved their broadband network capability. Noteworthy is the company's commitment to diversifying its revenue streams through acquisitions and theme park investments, contributing to its overall growth trajectory. Despite the rising challenges in the media industry, Comcast underperformed the sector over the last year compared to its five-year journey. However, financial decisions such as dividend increases and a robust share buyback program amplified shareholder value. The January 2025 dividend was increased by 6.5% to US$1.32 per share, and the buyback authorization was expanded to US$15 billion. These moves, along with the launch of innovative products like the Tri-Band WiFi 6E Gateway and regional business expansions in Florida and Georgia, have strengthened its market position. Take a closer look at Comcast's potential here in our financial health report. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NasdaqGS:CMCSA. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Sign in to access your portfolio
