Kelly Skinner, the USOC's sport performance team leader, who focuses particularly on winter sport programmes, explained that the appointment of the national governing body's new President Mike Plant (pictured top) has signalled a positive transformation for the sport.

However, he said the USOC is still working closely with the organisation and also indicated that some significant changes are on the horizon with annual meeting due to take place next month.

"We are working very closely with that national governing body to address their governance issues and with the addition of the new President Mike Plant we are very confident in the direction that he is already taking that sport," Skinner said.

"They have an annual meeting in the middle of May at that point we expect to see a lot of governance reform rolled out as well as some new programmes for the athletes.

"We feel very good about where that sport is going right now."


Plant, a former speedskater himself and a member of the 1980 US Olympic team, was called in to take over US Speedskating last month with the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics less than a year away - he is currently interim President but it is expected that he will be confirmed at the annual meeting in May.

He stepped in after the organisation was rocked by claims that former President Andy Gabel - a Lillehammer 1994 silver medallist - had improper sexual relationships with underage athletes.

A further separate scandal arose surrounding the former national short track coach Jae Su Chun, who was accused of physically abusing athletes.

Ultimately, breakaway athletes filed a complaint to the USOC claiming the governing body was incapable of carrying out its duties due to poor financial management and organisation infighting, while Olympic Committee chief executive Scott Blackmun expressed his concerns about the sport's direction after the nation failed to win a medal at the Short Track World Championships in Hungary, the first time that's happened since 2004.


But with the appointment of Plant and the impending further changes, US Speedskating seems to be turning a corner.

"This is a positive step for US Speedskating," the governing body's executive director Mark Greenwald said when Plant joined the organisation.

"We have certainly had our ups and downs over the last several months, but having someone with Mike's experience on board will go a long way to putting us back on the right track.

"Mike brings years of leadership experience and a proven track record of success and that is exactly what we need."

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