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Bloomberg
Dick’s Sporting Goods is choosing to end its partnership with the United States Olympic Committee when their contract expires this month, a decision that comes as Team USA continues to deal with fallout from the a scandal surrounding former gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
The company cited “a new investment focus†in a statement and didn’t mention Nassar. The decision means the retailer won’t have a presence at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. It’s working on a transition plan to assist the 86 athletes in its Contenders programme, which offers Olympic hopefuls part-time work while they train.
An independent investigation released this month by the law firm Ropes & Gray found that the USOC’s top executives were aware of the allegations against Nassar in 2015 and failed to act. The report also found that the organisation lacked the institutional structure to handle assault allegations.
Dick’s, based in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, is the first of the USOC’s 22 corporate partners to announce a change to their relationship since the report came out. Sponsorships and licensing make up the bulk of the USOC revenue.