The proposals were among the key recommendations put forward in March by a panel led by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who reviewed the USOC's structures.

The report was commissioned partly as a result of the humiliation suffered last October by Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympics when it was eliminated in the first round of voting as the Games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro.

That followed New York City's failure to make an impression in the bidding for the 2012 Olympics, won by London.

The changes, which also include adding chief executive Scott Blackmun as a non-voting member of the Board, are designed to strengthen the leadership of the USOC and to help rebuild its shattered image abroad.

The changes are expected to be formally approved at the USOC's next Assembly in Colorado Springs on September 24 and 25.

The plan to increase the size of the Board to 15 comes seven years after a decision to reduce it to 11 from 125, which was seen as far too unwieldy.

"I don't think it's going backward, I think it's moving forward," said Larry Probst (pictured), the USOC chairman.

"Adding additional expertise, that's a good thing.

"Fifteen people is an absolutely manageable number."

One of the new board members will represent the national governing bodies and another will represent the Athletes' Advisory Council, and restrictions will be lifted on those members holding key positions in their respective organisations.

The restriction was in place to avoid conflicts of interest, but the Tagliabue panel found it was hard to find "outside experts" in the narrow pool of Olympic family candidates.

"It allows people more actively engaged in the business of the Olympics to have a seat on the board and we all think that's a good thing," said Blackmun.

The decision to add Blackmun to the Board and allow the chairman the opportunity to serve more than two terms is designed to give them more status internationally in the Olympic Movement.

"I think we all know, having continuity at key positions in the organisation, via the chairman of the CEO, is a good thing for the movement in the United States," Probst said.

"It's important for building international relationships with the IOC and other parts of the Olympic Movement globally."


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