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SPORTS Wednesday 23 May 2018

USA Taekwondo wasn’t shy about punishing Lopezes

many of whom testified and the USOC. She has opened in March 2017
earlier this year during Nas- not made any public com- in response to sex-abuse
sar’s trial for child pornog- ments since taking the job scandals in Olympic sports.
raphy and sexual assault. in December. CEO Shellie Pfohl said the
Nassar also worked at The USOC’s acting CEO, Su- center responded to more
Michigan State, which last sanne Lyons, is also sched- than 500 reports that cov-
week agreed to pay $500 uled to speak, along with ered 38 of the 49 national
million to settle claims from leaders of USA Volleyball, governing bodies; the cen-
the victims; lawsuits are USA Swimming and the ter has issued 142 lifetime
still pending against USAG SafeSport center, which bans.q

This Aug. 22, 2008, file photo shows Steven Lopez, right,
celebrating with his brother and coach Jean after defeating
Azerbaijan’s Rashad Ahmadov in a bronze medal match for
the men’s taekwondo -80 kilogram class at the Beijing 2008
Olympics in Beijing.
Associated Press

By EDDIE PELLS were designed “to create
Associated Press the best possible condi-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two- tions for my failure.”
time Olympic champion But USA Taekwondo CEO
Steven Lopez complained Steve McNally, who will
to the U.S. Olympic Com- speak to a House sub-
mittee that he was sub- committee Wednesday
ject to an “institutionalized about sex abuse in Olym-
witch hunt” designed to pic sports, wrote in his tes-
undermine his success — timony that he presented
a piece of Congressional the letter to dismiss the
testimony offered by USA idea that USA Taekwondo
Taekwondo to undercut knowingly looked the other
the notion that the organi- way so the brothers could
zation was unwilling to dis- keep adding to the U.S.
cipline its top athletes for win column. “As this should
sex-abuse and other cases. make clear, the purported
Lopez is currently under ‘protective treatment’ the
suspension while the U.S. Lopez brothers received,
Center for SafeSport inves- which creates understand-
tigates a case against him. able outrage in the pub-
His brother and coach, lic’s eye, is absolutely and
Jean, has been perma- unequivocally false,” Mc-
nently banned for sexual Nally wrote. His testimony
misconduct. was among the six opening
Lopez wrote a letter last statements posted on the
June to then-CEO Scott subcommittee website in
Blackmun of the USOC ref- advance of Wednesday’s
erencing three attempts by hearing. The new CEO of
USA Taekwondo from 2013- USA Gymnastics, Kerry Per-
15, all overturned in arbitra- ry, said the organization is
tion, to ban Jean Lopez for in mediation with victims
actions that weren’t relat- of Larry Nassar, the team
ed to the sex-abuse cases. doctor who molested more
Lopez said the attempts than 300 women and girls,