U.S. Olympic Committee CEO steps down in wake of Nassar scandal

Scott Blackmun.
(Image credit: Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images)

U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun announced Wednesday he is resigning after eight years on the job, citing his recent cancer diagnosis as the reason why he is stepping down.

The 60-year-old did not attend the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang. The USOC's handling of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case has been criticized, and two U.S. senators and several of the victims, including Olympian Aly Raisman, have asked why the former USA Gymnastics doctor was able to abuse dozens of young women.

The USOC is conducting an independent review of when the USOC and Blackmun first learned of Nassar's abuse, and their response. The committee also plans on giving victims funding and other resources, The Associated Press reports. With Blackmun out, board member Susanne Lyons will serve as acting CEO.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.