U.S. Director Rebuts Accusations

SALT LAKE CITY —  Mike Jacki, executive director of the embattled United States Gymnastics Federation, repeated here Thursday that reports of USGF wrong-doing were “coming from a couple of disgruntled people who haven’t kept pace with the sport, the same people making accusations for the last 20 years.” Beyond that, he said, the accusations were wrong.

Jacki, addressing reporters on hand for the Olympic trials here, spent an hour and a half rebutting those accusations, reports of which first appeared in The Times. He and the federation had previously issued a denial last week.

Referring to reports that the USGF was being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for failure to report income from its state accounts, Jacki said, “No, we are not.” He said he was notified by the Justice Department that documents, “a sizable amount of paper,” had been sent in by somebody, but that “that there was no investigation.”

“They are obligated to review documents,” Jacki said. “They open their mail.”

The Times and at least one other newspaper have confirmed with government sources, however, that an investigation is under way.

Jacki said that any money not reported as income for the nonprofit organization would be useful to the USGF’s bookkeeping because it would allow the USGF to raise corresponding funds.

“We’d love to report it,” he said. As it is, he said, this money “doesn’t come back to us, we never see it.” The local organizations use it to run gymnastics operations within their own communities, he reiterated.

The more serious allegation, it seemed to Jacki, was a report that the USGF had failed to disburse meaningful funds to Olympic candidates. Jacki admitted that gymnasts were disadvantaged, compared to track and field athletes, because the international federation (FIG) does not allow athletes to be compensated in relation to performance. “They can receive no form of payment,” he said.

In addition, National Collegiate Athletic Assn. regulations posed a particular problem for women gymnasts, most of whom compete at the Olympic level before becoming eligible for college scholarships. As soon as a gymnast accepts any payment, he or she is ineligible for a scholarship. Most men use their collegiate experience as Olympic training, but the women rarely do.

Consequently, Jacki said, “Of 20 kids (women), I believe there are 4 with trust funds.” About half the men, their eligibility exhausted, have trust funds, he said.

Jacki said he hoped to work something out soon with the NCAA. But he insisted at the same time that the USGF has been more generous to its athletes than reports would suggest. He pointed to a recent exhibition, not a competition, held in Las Vegas, in which eight men gymnasts and two women received $1,500 apiece. In addition, he said, “Sixteen coaches also got $1,500 apiece.” He says the USGF disbursed about $40,000 for that appearance alone.

Although Jacki said the timing of these reports was unfortunate, coming right at the Olympic buildup, it so far has had no impact on the program. At least not financial.

“Sponsors are pretty astute,” he said. “In a phone conversation with McDonald’s (a primary sponsor of gymnastics), the opening line was a joke.”

Asked what the joke was, Jacki smiled and said, “Maybe another day.”