ReutersAthletes must be at the forefront of shaping the future of global sport, British Olympic cycling champion Callum Skinner said on Wednesday as he fronts a new athlete-led organization launched following scandals. Global Athlete, the creation of which comes after a Russian doping crisis and USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal, said it would empower Olympic athletes to speak up and work toward addressing a disconnect between competitors and sports leaders. It is time competitors had a greater role in decisionmaking after too many years of being on the sidelines, Koehler said. Global Athlete would be humble in its approach and it would take time before the movement bears fruit, he added. Global Athlete is being funded initially by independent foundation FairSport along with individual donors who would have no part in decisionmaking or operations.

Source: Taipei Times February 14, 2019 16:04 UTC