USATT to Conduct Elections for Elite Athlete Seats on Board of Directors

Four Elite Athlete Spots on USATT Board Will Be Determined in Two Separate Upcoming Elections –

Eligible Elite Athletes Are Encouraged to Submit Their Request to Run in Elite Athlete Elections Starting Today

(Colorado Springs, CO – October 2, 2024) – USA Table Tennis (“USATT”) today announced that the organization will conduct two separate elections to select four eligible Elite Athletes to serve on the USATT Board of Directors, as well as on the respective Athletes’ Advisory Councils for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (“USOPC”) and USATT. 

Eligible Elite Athletes are encouraged to submit a request to be placed on the ballot(s) for the Elite Athlete elections starting immediately. The deadline to submit a request to be placed on the ballot for the initial Elite Athlete election, which will determine the “First Athlete” and “Second Athlete,” is Friday, October 18, 2024, at 5:00 pm US Mountain Time. Interested candidates should send an email notification of their intent to run and a request to be vetted for inclusion on the ballot to admin@usatt.org.

To be eligible for the initial Elite Athlete election, an individual must qualify as a “10-Year Athlete”, which is defined by USATT Bylaws as those athletes who have competed in “Operation Gold Competition” Table Tennis Events (the Summer Olympics, the Summer Paralympics, World Championships, Para World Championships, Pan American Games, and Para Pan American Games) within the previous 10 years. Athletes who have participated in Operation Gold Competition Table Tennis Events are also referred to as “Elite Athletes” in the USATT Bylaws. For the purposes of the initial Elite Athlete election, an Elite Athlete would have had to have represented the US in an Operation Gold Competition Table Tennis Event on or after January 1, 2015.

In addition, only those persons who fall within the definition of the 10-Year Athlete will be eligible to vote in the Elite Athlete elections. More information on the voting process will be released as soon as all eligible and interested candidates have been vetted for placement on the ballot.

It is important to note that all candidates running in the elections for these Elite Athlete positions must disclose in advance of the election any prior felony conviction(s) or any periods of ineligibility served in sport for any reason, including disciplinary decisions and/or SafeSport violations.

The top two finishers in the initial Elite Athlete election will not only serve a full four-year term on the USATT Board of Directors, but the top finisher will be designated as USATT’s “First Athlete” and will also serve as the USATT Representative on the USOPC’s Athlete Advisory Council. The individual who finishes with the second most votes in this initial Elite Athlete election will be designated as USATT’s “Second Athlete” and will serve as USATT’s Alternate Representative on the USOPC’s AAC. The First and Second Athlete will also serve a term on the USATT Athlete Advisory Council.

The second and follow-up Elite Athlete election, which will be held immediately following the conclusion of the election of the First and Second Athletes, will have two separate available positions on the ballot – one election to select the “Third Athlete” and a separate election to select the “Fourth Athlete”. 

The Third Athlete will serve on the USATT Board of Directors, as well as serve a term on the USATT AAC. The Fourth Athlete will be the one “10 Year+ Athlete” on the USATT Board of Directors. A “10 Year+ Athlete” is defined just as for a “10 Year Athlete” except that the last Operation Gold Competition for a “10 Year+ Athlete” must have occurred longer than ten years ago, which for the purposes of this election would be on or before December 31, 2014.

Individuals interested in running in the follow-up Elite Athlete election – for either the Third or Fourth Athlete positions – can submit their intention to run at this time. There will also be an appropriate period of time after the completion of the initial Elite Athlete Election in which to submit an intention to run in the follow-up Elite Athlete election. Persons who ran in the initial Elite Athlete election, but who did not win either the First or Second Athlete position, are eligible to run in the follow-up election for the Third Athlete. Please also note that, if no 10 Year+ Elite Athlete runs for the Fourth Athlete position, the Fourth Athlete Director will be the Elite Athlete who receives the second most votes in the election for the Third Athlete Director.

Once again, it is important to note that the requirements for disclosure of prior felony conviction(s) and/or suspensions from sport are also mandatory for the follow-up election of the Third and Fourth Athlete.

With respect to these Elite Athlete elections, at least one of the First, Second or Third Athlete positions must be held by an eligible Able-Bodied Elite Athlete and at least one of those positions must held by an eligible Elite Para Athlete. If both the First and Second Athlete selected in the initial Elite Athlete election are Para Athletes, then the Able-Bodied Athlete with the most votes in the election for the Third Athlete position will win that election; or if both the First and Second Athlete positions are Able-Bodied Elite Athletes, then the top vote-getting Elite Para Athlete in the follow-up election will win the Third Athlete position. 

It is important to note that the responsibilities of Athlete Representatives may include but are not limited to the following:

• Be familiar with your NGB’s bylaws, the USOPC bylaws, the AAC bylaws the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sport Act, and various other polices affecting athletes’ rights
• Understand the athlete pool you represent and work to engage the athletes represented
• Actively attend USOPC/ AAC meetings and relay information to the identified athlete pool
• Proactively reach out to your constituents enabling athletes to freely comment on polices/procedures
• Consistently communicate with your NGB CEO/ED and other key stakeholders on matters impacting athletes
• Synthesize athletes’ feedback on policies and procedures and provide input to the relevant party
• Provide an avenue for athletes to voice their concerns
• Review, gather and provide athlete input, and sign off on selection procedures for selection of International, Olympic, Paralympic and Pan Am Games Teams
• Some travel may be required

Persons interested in determining whether you qualify to run and/or vote in these Athlete elections as either a 10-Year or 10-Year+ Athlete can request a determination by directly contacting USATT at admin@usatt.org.

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