(ATR) Olympic ice hockey gold medalist Angela Ruggiero enters a new phase of her career this week.
After eight years as an IOC member, her term is over. She was elected in 2010 as a member of the IOC Athletes Commission. But she finished the finaltwo years of her mandate as the commission chair, which comes with a seat on the IOC Executive Board.
Ruggiero, 38,began her Olympic career as a 17-year old member of the U.S. women’s ice hockey team that won the gold medal at the Nagano Olympics. She competed in three more Games before retiring from competition.
"I’ve volunteered to make athletes lives better and that’s what I’ve done," Ruggiero tells Around the Rings in an interview during the last week of the PyeongChang Olympics.
"It’s crazy to think my time is up. Eight years goes by very quickly," she remarked just ahead of her final weekend on the IOC, filled with responsibilities.
Issues of Sex Abuse in Sport
She made herfinal appearance as a member of the USOC leadership at a press conference on the eve of the 2018 Olympics. Thatbriefing was dominated with questions about the aftermath of the sex abuse scandal involving USA Gymnastics.
"I think this is another unfortunate situation," says Ruggiero.
"I’m incredibly proud of the athletes who have come forward. They are brave and have shed light on a horrible situation," she says.
"It’sa tragedy on the gymnastic side but it’s the first time that we as a community are dealing with safe sport. Our job is to protect athletes. Our job is to protect sport.
"Without doing that the Olympics go away. Without doing that youth sports goes away," Ruggiero warns.
The Next Chapter: Sports and Technology
Moving ahead after her work as an IOC member, Ruggiero says she will devote her energies to the business she started, Sports Innovation Lab, based in Boston, Mass.https://www.sportsilab.com/
"The reason I started it is the need in the market. Technology is changing every aspect of sport.Performance, prevention of injuries. Off the field in broadcasting, howdigital new media such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence is changing sport.We’re building a software powered firm at the intersection of sports and technology," she says.
"I love sports. I love technology. I love helping the movement. If I can bring all those forces together to help shape the future of sport, that’s what our company is trying to do," says Ruggiero.
Ruggiero demurs when asked whether she is interested in a leadership role in the International Ice Hockey Federation one day.
"Women’s hockey needs the support of the IIHF. Having women in leadership roles there will make sure they’re thinking about growing the sport. All federations need to think about bringing women in because if you think about growth as an organization, the trajectory of women sports is where the real growth opportunities lie opportunities are, while on the men’s side its stagnant are going very slowly. It’s good for business."
To read the full story, click here.
Reported by Ed Hula
Forgeneral comments or questions, click here.
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about theOlympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribersonly.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
