美国国家公共电台 NPR Calls For Widespread Change Challenge Incoming Head Of U.S. Olympic Committee

 

NOEL KING, HOST:

The new leader of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Sarah Hirshland, starts work on Monday. That organization has been criticized for how it has dealt or not dealt with sexual abuse. As Alexandra Starr reports, some advocates say that to create a safer environment for athletes, the USOC will need to change its economic model.

ALEXANDRA STARR, BYLINE¹: Han Xiao is a former elite² table tennis champion who now chairs the Olympic Athletes Advisory³ Council. He's basically a union rep for athletes. Last month, he testified before Congress along with other sports officials, including from the U.S. Olympic Committee. Xiao said he didn't think change was coming.

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HAN XIAO: It's not a failing necessarily of the organization. I think it's a failing of the entire system, the way it's set up.

STARR: When he finished speaking, the crowd erupted into applause. Weeks later, Xiao was still stunned⁴ by the response.

XIAO: I didn't expect applause at a Senate subcommittee hearing.

STARR: The audience included dozens of victims of the former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, Larry Nassar. He's in prison now for molesting⁵ hundreds of girls and women under the guise⁶ of medical treatment. Xiao argues that scandal is an example of how the USOC has misplaced priorities.

XIAO: Athletes are struggling just to stay above the poverty line in many instances; athletes being sexually abused, struggling with mental health and depression without much support - all of these are just indicators⁷ to us that athletes are not a clear priority of the organization.

STARR: One perennial⁸ complaint from many elite athletes is that they don't receive sufficient financial support. According to the USOC, about 8 percent of its budget goes directly to athletes. Alan Ashley, the chief of sport performance at the USOC, argues that figure is misleading. He says the organization provides all kinds of support that doesn't come in the form of cash.

ALAN ASHLEY: When you layer in the cost of training, the cost of competition, the cost to hire coaches, the access to the training centers, that's a lot of direct support.

STARR: One way the USOC encourages success is by providing a medal bonus to athletes. Employees at the USOC also have their compensation tied to the performance of Team USA. The more medals athletes win, the higher their salaries. Ashley took home roughly half a million dollars in 2016 when the U.S. dominated at the Summer Olympics in Rio. USOC staffers also see a decline in pay if Team USA fails to meet expectations. Ashley says this approach helps USOC employees stay invested in athletes' success.

ASHLEY: Let's focus our efforts on that. It must be measured as to whether we're doing a good job there or not.

STARR: Some athletes are skeptical⁹. Caroline Lind is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing. She says she had minimal¹⁰ interaction with USOC personnel.

CAROLINE LIND: So it seems a little absurd to me that there's some person who has, like, no connection to us as athletes that's getting bonuses based on our winning.

STARR: Even though she won consistently, Lind says her monthly stipend¹¹ topped out at a little more than $2,000. She claims, at one point, her funding was cut almost by half even though she had recently won at major international competitions. The low level of support and the fact that it could change at any moment made Lind feel that her standing¹² was precarious¹³.

LIND: It sort of makes an atmosphere where you don't really feel comfortable speaking up.

STARR: These issues - athlete support, abuse and the medal count - will all fall under Sarah Hirshland's purview¹⁴ as she takes over at the U.S. Olympic Committee.

For NPR News, I'm Alexandra Starr.

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1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

3 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

4 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

5 molesting   

v.骚扰( molest的现在分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵

参考例句：

• He was accused of sexually molesting a female colleague. 他被指控对一位女同事进行性骚扰。 来自辞典例句
• He was charged with molesting a woman. 他被指控调戏妇女。 来自辞典例句

6 guise   

n.外表，伪装的姿态

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors.他们假装成视察员进了学校。
• The thief came into the house under the guise of a repairman.那小偷扮成个修理匠进了屋子。

7 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

8 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

9 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

10 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

11 stipend   

n.薪贴；奖学金；养老金

参考例句：

• The company is going to ajust my stipend from this month onwards.从这一个月开始公司将对我的薪金作调整。
• This sum was nearly a third of his total stipend.这笔钱几乎是他全部津贴的三分之一。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

14 purview   

n.范围；眼界

参考例句：

• These are questions that lie outside the purview of our inquiry.这些都不是属于我们调查范围的问题。
• That,however,was beyond the purview of the court;it was a diplomatic matter.但是，那已不在法庭权限之内；那是个外交问题。