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SPORTS Tuesday 7 augusT 2018

SEX ABUSE a six-month suspended jail Center for SafeSport.
Continued from Page 17 sentence, 12 months of USEF is working on it.
It's a mission that took on probation and was ordered Spokesman Julian McPeak
more urgency after a sex- to pay fines. said the federation "does
abuse scandal rocked Once the probation was not have a program where
USA Swimming in 2010, complete, the case was it recognizes or certifies
then metastasized into closed, and Bielefeld was coaches or trainers," but it
headline news in the wake free to resume his role as is proposing changes that
of physician Larry Nassar's an equestrian judge — a would bring them into the
abuse of nearly 300 job that didn't put him in vetting process.
gymnasts, including some direct contact with riders or The most horrific sex-abuse
on the U.S. Olympic team. minors. cases in the sport's history
The mission has also added In a twist that illustrates involved arguably the
immense pressure to the confusion surrounding sport's most renowned
administrators in dozens of the new policies, Bielefeld trainer.
niche sports, many of whom also works as a trainer out In 2016, the name "Jimmy A.
are experts in their field of a horse farm in Florida. Williams" was stripped from
but don't have the skills to But had he not also been USEF's lifetime achievement
craft sex-abuse-prevention a judge, this case — and trophy after dozens of
policies that can have his suspension — might not allegations surfaced
life-changing impact on have resurfaced. accusing the renowned
victims and those who are The U.S. Equestrian trainer of multiple cases
accused. Federation, which of sexual misconduct.
"Upset. Disappointed," oversees the sport at the Williams died in 1993 at
Devon Horse Show Olympic level, requires age 76. Industry magazine
manager David Distler about 2,400 people to The Chronicle of the Horse In this July 3, 2008 file photo Anne Kursinski jumps over an
said of Bielefeld's reaction undergo background and the New York Times obstacle during the Nation's Cup competition of the World
over his ouster from the checks, though the vast ran stories featuring dozens Equestrian Festival CHIO in Aachen, western Germany.
renowned event over majority of those are of interviews from Williams' Associated Press
Memorial Day. "He thought on the administrative victims, who all described
it was done, finished, and it side of the sport. The list being kissed, groped and exposed other issues. suspensions and other
just kind of came up again does not include trainers worse, often in the aisles Though the vast majority of punishment for those who
out of nowhere." and coaches who work between the barn stalls. athletes who make up the break the rules, thus taking
Bielefeld did not respond to with horses and their One of the victims, two- membership in Olympic the decisions away from
several requests from The riders because they are time Olympic silver sports organizations will the sports organizations
Associated Press, made considered independent medalist Anne Kursinski, did never come close to that sometimes lack
via telephone, email and contractors. According not respond to messages making the Games, the institutional knowledge to
social media, to comment to government statistics , left by AP. But she is in a USOC has oversight over deal with such issues — and
for this story. there are approximately 2 video on the USEF website all of them and decided often are rife with conflicts
According to court records, million horse owners in the supporting a change in all the federations must of interest.
in April of 2013, Bielefeld United States; 7 percent of the bylaws that would operate under essentially But the Center for SafeSport
called a male worker at a those (around 140,000) are mandate trainers and the same rules. Given the finds itself policing much
hotel in Lexington, Virginia, considered professional coaches are included in vast differences in the more than only those on
into his room to fix his trainers, though that the federation's SafeSport budgets and experience the Olympic career path.
TV, pushed him onto the number is split among program. of the staffs of the 49 NGBs For instance, USEF oversees
bed, exposed himself and many segments, including USEF's decision to strip with ties to the Olympics, 29 breeds and disciplines
began masturbating. racing and show horses. Williams' name from its most the implementation of in the horse-show world,
The worker escaped the "We're encouraging prestigious award came those rules varied by sport. only four of which are on
room and told his manager, (federations) that if they more than two years after The USOC's ultimate goal the Olympic or Paralympic
who urged him to call have something like that the federation bolstered was the 2017 opening program. U.S. Sailing and
police. Within a few hours, where the membership its SafeSport policies in the of the U.S. Center for the U.S. Tennis Association
Bielefeld was in jail. Shortly is limited, we would wake of the U.S. Olympic SafeSport, which serves as a are other examples of
after that, he pleaded want them to broaden" Committee's call for top- clearinghouse for athletes, NGBs with similar makeups
guilty to one count of the number of people to-bottom overhauls of sex coaches and parents to — only a small portion
misdemeanor assault and subjected to background abuse policies for all sports report suspected abuse. It of their activities are
one count of attempted checks, said Dan Hill, the organizations that fell under also acts as an investigative geared toward Olympic
sexual battery. He received spokesman for the U.S. its umbrella. That mandate entity that metes out competition.q