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INDIANAPOLIS – Ron Galimore, the long-time chief operating officer of the American Gymnastics, resigned Friday, his last high-profile start for the organization in crisis following the scandal Larry Nassar.
This decision comes as the USA Gymnastics faces the loss of certification of its status as the national governing body of sport due to concerns about its leadership and the way it handled complaints against Nassar. The former team doctor is currently serving decades of imprisonment for sexual assault and possession of child pornography.
Nassar is accused of having sexually abused hundreds of female athletes under the guise of treatment at both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State.
USA Gymnastics did not comment on this change Friday, beyond stating in a statement that its board of directors had accepted the resignation and wished Galimore "success in its future plans".
Galimore issued a statement Friday night, stating:
"I am proud to serve USA Gymnastics and its members for over 24 years. I realize that changes are needed as the gymnastics community moves forward after the horrible actions of Larry Nassar, which have affected so many people in our sport.
"I want to clarify that my resignation was in no way associated with the online speech and media reports that tried to link me to an effort to protect Nassar from control. I spoke to investigators and I was filed about it. I am convinced that I have always acted responsibly and in the best interest of the athletes.
"Gymnastics has been at the center of my life since I was a kid. I resigned from my position with a bit of sadness, but also with the hope that my departure would help USA Gymnastics to pursue its vision of a new start, as its restructuring continued with a renewed sense of creation. a safe place to learn gymnastics. . "
In May, the Indianapolis Star announced that a lawyer hired by USA Gymnastics had ordered Galimore to provide a false excuse to explain Nassar's absence at major gymnastics events in the summer of 2015. The organization was studying complaints against Nassar at the time.
"We will inform Ron that we will not feel well and that we have decided to stay at home," said Scott Himsel, a lawyer hired by USA Gymnastics, in an e-mail obtained by the newspaper.
USA Gymnastics is accused of concealing allegations of aggression. The group did not inform the Michigan State or elite gyms of any complaints lodged against it in 2015. The organization said it did not disclose any complaints outside FBI guidelines.
Nassar publicly stated in September 2015 that he was retiring from the Indianapolis-based group, but he continued to see young women and girls for many months in his Michigan state office and in a gymnasium. near Lansing, Michigan.
Despite significant staff turnover within the organization over the last two years – USA Gymnastics is looking for its fourth President and CEO since March 2017 – Galimore has remained its second leader. Although he has kept a low profile in recent months, he has presented medals at an awards ceremony at the 2018 World Gymnastics Championships that have just completed.
Galimore's continued presence had been a matter of contention with the Nassar survivors and virulent critics who wondered how much the USA Gymnastics would change its culture if it kept him on board.
USOC's new executive director, Sarah Hirshland, told the gymnastics community "you deserve better" in an open letter published earlier this month. Hirshland said the challenges facing American gymnastics are more than she is able to overcome as she is currently built.
The organization is questioning the desirability of relinquishing its status as the national governing body or trying to convince the USOC that it can solve its problems and create an environment that emphasizes the safety, well-being and overall transparency of athletes.
Galimore, an outstanding gymnast who was part of the 1980 Summer Olympic team boycotting the Moscow Games, joined USA Gymnastics in 1994, working for the first time with the men's program before going into other areas within the organization.
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