The Olympics face an existential crisis. An American-led effort could save them

The Olympic movement risks lurching even further into an existential crisis if major problems aren’t addressed, and many of the levers for change are in the hands of US stakeholders

This piece was originally published in the Guardian and was written by Steve Mesler and Jeff Porter.

Here is an argument you won’t often hear from a US gold medallist. Russia isn’t solely to blame for the crisis in the Olympic movement. The real problem is wider and more serious – and it represents a threat to the whole Olympic movement with Russia currently at the center.

How might we view Russia? They could be seen like a kid behind you on an airplane who keeps kicking your seat. And yet when you turn around and ask them to stop, they keep going. If the parent doesn’t hold the child accountable, what reason is there for behavior change? In this case the IOC executive board are the parents, and IOC president Thomas Bach is ultimately responsible.

But the Russians aren’t children and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is a master who has been able to… Continue reading for free on The Guardian, here.