Longtime MLS executive hired to lead USA Gymnastics
USA Gymnastics has a new leader.
Kyle Albrecht, currently the general manager of MLS NEXT, will succeed Li Li Leung as president and CEO on Jan. 1. Leung announced in June that she would step down at the end of the year, saying she wanted her successor to have ‘a long runway’ ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
“(Albrecht) has the leadership experience essential to continue USA Gymnastics’ growth, and his fresh perspective will provide new opportunities and leadership as we look to the LA 2028 Olympic Games as a catalyst for the sport of gymnastics and its athletes,” USA Gymnastics chair Kathryn Carson said in the release announcing Albrecht’s appointment.
Though expectations for USA Gymnastics are always sky high — a U.S. woman has been the Olympic all-around champion at every Games since 2004 and the Americans have won three of the last four team titles — Albrecht inherits a job far different than the one Leung did when she was hired in 2019.
Leung brought USA Gymnastics out of sex abuse scandal
The federation was toxic then, having lost the trust of its athletes, sponsors and the general public in the wake of a horrific sex abuse scandal. Larry Nassar, a team physician for both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State, sexually abused Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney and hundreds of other young gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment. USA Gymnastics was facing a lawsuit from Nassar’s survivors, sponsors had fled and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee had started the process to decertify the federation.
Leung, a former gymnast, moved quickly to try and restore trust in the organization. She apologized to the survivors and acknowledged USA Gymnastics’ harsh culture had fostered the environment that allowed Nassar and physically abusive coaches to prey on athletes. She overhauled the federation’s management team — nearly 70% of the staff has turned over — and initiated a culture centered around the athletes.
USA Gymnastics established an Athlete Bill of Rights in December 2020 and created a program that provides mental health visits for athletes and coaches. It was one of the first federations in the Olympic movement to have therapy dogs at its competitions, a practice that has now spread.
As part of a $380 million settlement reached in 2021, Nassar survivors now have a permanent seat on the USA Gymnastics board. The USOPC also dropped its decertification efforts as part of the settlement. The turnaround has been reflected in the return of big-name sponsors including Nike, which signed a five-year deal with the federation that runs through Los Angeles.
Athlete safety, performance among Albrecht’s priorities
It will be Albrecht’s job to build on that foundation. The longtime MLS executive has experience in commercial partnerships, event management and grassroots programs. Prior to MLS he worked at Under Armour.
‘Athlete safety and performance are the foundation of gymnastics,” Albrecht said in the statement announcing his hiring. “My goal is to be a true steward of the sport and to ensure everyone has access to participating in it. We want to continue to build upon the strong foundation that will carry us well beyond 2028.”
