According to teamusa.org, the USOPC notified USA Skateboarding on March 15, 2023, that the Certification Review Group determined that USA Skateboarding did not sufficiently satisfy the requirements in the Settlement Agreement.
This was, in part, due to a failure to address such issues as:
•Improper background screening
•An unqualified and vetted board of directors
•Lack of effective conflict of interest policies
•Unsupported financial projections that risked insolvency
• Failure to provide an organizational chart and staff qualifications
Consistent with the terms of the Settlement Agreement, USA Skateboarding voluntarily relinquished its NGB certification on March 16, 2023.
The effect of USA Skateboarding’s relinquishment of its NGB certification is to transfer the responsibility for managing the Olympic high performance program to the USOPC.
What does this mean for Downhill Skateboarding
As many of you know, USA Skateboarding did not receive any funding from the USOPC, the government, or from sponsors to support vert, downhill, luge, and slalom, which are not a part of the Olympics.
However, as the former NGB, USA Skateboarding had the responsibility to choose committee members and qualifying races to measure the athletic ability of prospective competitors in the World Skate Games.
As we approach the qualifying season for the 2024 World Skate Games in Italy, many are now wondering who will be in charge of selecting the races and verifying the results of the qualifiers.
What We Know
While some race qualifiers were already in the works, we are not certain which races and dates will be made official.
As a non-profit organization with board members who are also downhill athletes, we are very interested in what happens next. We will actively pursue information and provide updates to the downhill racing community.
For questions about USA Downhill Skateboarding Association:
- Marcie Morgan, President (Marcie@usadownhillskate.com)
For questions about the Olympic High Performance Program:
- Matt Cramer, Sr. Director, Internally Managed Sports (Matt.R.Cramer@usopc.org)
- Whitney Carter, Director, Internally Managed Sports (Whitney.Carter@usopc.org)
