Larry Nassar has gone to prison. Can Li Li Leung save USA Gymnastics?
In February, USA Gymnastics announced it had hired Li Li Leung, a former NBA executive, as president and CEO. She’s the fourth person in two years to lead the beleaguered organization, which has been excoriated for its handling of sexual-abuse allegations against former team doctor Larry Nassar, who will spend the rest of his life in prison after having been convicted of molesting more than 300 gymnasts. In 2017, Steve Penny, who’d been the organization’s chief executive for 12 years, stepped down and was later arrested for allegedly tampering with evidence during the investigation, plus the entire 21-member board was forced to resign. USA Gymnastics has since filed for bankruptcy as it works to resolve the dozens of civil lawsuits it is facing, which could cost an estimated $75 million to $150 million in settlement payments, and the U.S. Olympic Committee has threatened to decertify the organization as the sport’s governing body. Leung is the one charged with cleaning up the mess and leading the sport into the future. As a former gymnast—she started at age seven, went on to represent the U.S. at the 1988 Junior Pan American Games, and later competed as a member of the University of Michigan team—she’s passionate about remaking the sport she loves. And as a former vice president at the NBA, where she was charged with building, leading, negotiating, and managing key partner relationships, she has the skills to match. Here, she discusses her personal history and the work that lies ahead.
Marie Claire: What did gymnastics bring to your life growing up—the positives and the downsides?
This story is from the June 2019 edition of Marie Claire - US.
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This story is from the June 2019 edition of Marie Claire - US.
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