The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the Team USA Athletes’ Commission (AC) (formerly known as the USOPC Athletes’ Advisory Council), the National Governing Bodies Council (NGBC), and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) are pleased to announce the transition to a new independent arbitration body effective no earlier than July 24, 2023.
After a thorough exploration and vetting process, the USOPC, AC, NGBC, and USADA have selected New Era ADR as the arbitration body best suited to hear sport disputes arising under the Olympic and Paralympic movement. The adjudication process ensures that athletes and other persons who have disputes arising within sport, including eligibility, grievances, and alleged anti-doping rule violations, have an opportunity for a fair hearing by an independent arbitrator.
During vetting, New Era demonstrated a technologically advanced and fair arbitration process where all parties are heard – and ensures both the rules and athletes’ rights are upheld. New Era has also implemented processes that deliver significant cost efficiencies, which will help reduce the financial burden on athletes and other stakeholders.
New Era has experience managing complex and expedited cases on a bespoke platform and will utilize a case management system that has been specialized for Olympic and Paralympic sport disputes to ensure ease of access to all relevant case documents for all parties through an intuitive and easy-to-use portal. New Era is also committed to implementing the USOPC’s Olympic and Paralympic Movement Arbitration Rules, which are tailored procedural rules created by the USOPC, AC, and NGBC. USADA revised its procedural rules approximately two years ago, and New Era will implement these rules.
New Era carefully selects mediators and arbitrators based on their legal knowledge and years of experience in the field, with a focus on diversity. These highly vetted neutrals, including former judges and tenured attorneys, are among some of the most experienced in the field. New Era also allows greater flexibility in granting the USOPC, AAC, NGBC, and USADA with oversight on the USADA and USOPC pools of diverse neutrals.
About USOPC
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOPC is focused on protecting, supporting, and empowering America’s athletes, and is responsible for fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American, and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the U.S. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.
About the Team USA Athletes’ Commission
The Team USA Athletes’ Commission (formerly USOPC Athletes’ Advisory Council) is responsible for broadening communication between the USOPC and active athletes, and serves as a source of input and advice to the organization’s board of directors. The AAC is comprised of one representative from each Olympic and Pan American sport, eight athletes representing the Paralympic Sport Organizations, and six athletes elected by the AAC to serve at-large, including a chair and two vice chairs. Athletes on the council must have represented the U.S. in Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American or other major international competition within the last 10 years.
About the NGBC (National Governing Bodies Council)
The mission of the National Governing Bodies Council is to assist the NGBs and Paralympic Sport Organizations as they strive to achieve sustained competitive excellence. The NGBC represents the consensus views of the NGBs to the USOPC board of directors, USOPC staff, and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Assembly. The council is also charged with ensuring close cooperation and ongoing communications between the NGBC and other USOPC entities, such as the Team USA Athletes’ Commission and other affiliate organizations.
About USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency)
USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping programs for all Olympic, Paralympic, and UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, nonprofit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to stand with athletes to champion their right to clean sport, inspire true and healthy sport, and promote the integrity of sport.
CONTACTS:
USOPC
Team USA Athletes’ Commission
USADA
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