COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Wholesale Jerseys Factory . -- The U.S. Olympic Committee and the sports it oversees are behind the curve when it comes to placing women and minorities in key coaching and leadership positions, according to a set of scorecards the federation has released that chart progress over the past three years.The USOC itself is 24 percent or more behind benchmarks it set for hiring people of color on its roster of professional staff, administrative support and executive and senior-level management positions.The federations for swimming and gymnastics, two sports that brought home 45 of the countrys 121 medals from the Rio de Janeiro Games, have similar shortfalls.USA Swimming has no people of color on its board of directors and falls nearly 78 percent short of the USOC-established benchmark for hiring minorities on its professional staff. USA Gymnastics has a similar shortfall on its staff for minorities but far exceeds the benchmark goals in the number of women at key positions in the organization.USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus said the organization prides itself on being welcoming and inclusive.Weve come a long way, Wielgus said, and were our own harshest critics when we recognize there is still more we can achieve to make the experience even better for our current members and those who are looking to join team swimming.By law , the USOC collects diversity data every year. The numbers from 2013-15 have been published on the USOC website due to a push by the federations CEO, Scott Blackmun, to confront the issue.If we measure it, and shine a light on it, we will get better, Blackmun said in his address to the U.S. Olympic Assembly.He said improving the numbers is a mission to undertake because its effective, not just fair.He pointed out the success Title IX has had in bringing women to the fore of American sports, especially at the Olympic level. Women accounted for 61 of Americas medals in Rio, which would have placed them fourth on the overall medals table.But the fixes Blackmun is calling for arent all easy, nor are the standards the USOC has set considered a consensus.The benchmark numbers the USOC set were based on its own math -- a combination of census figures, NCAA data and the particulars of each sport. For instance, while USA Gymnastics numbers lag in administrative positions, the sports audience and participation has likely been broadened because the past two Olympic all-around womens champions, Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas, are African-Americans.There are areas where we can see USA Gymnastics as having a high level of inclusiveness and diversity, said the federations president, Steve Penny. And there are areas we can focus on, such as the areas the USOC is measuring, where we need to determine what steps we can take to encourage more participation.USA Track and Field is among the organizations with a makeup of leaders that looks very much like its makeup of athletes. USATFs CEO (Max Siegel) and president (Stephanie Hightower) are African-American. Ten of its 15 board members are people of color and it has exceeded the USOC benchmarks in professional staff and coaches.We take pride in our diversity but do not take it for granted, Siegel said. We make it a priority. Wholesale Jerseys US . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Wholesale SOCCER Jerseys . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. http://www.uschinasupplyjerseys.com/ . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Carolina Panthers made history on Thursday by holding a joint practice with a high school football team.The Spartanburg High School Vikings went through warmups and had a chance to interact with Carolinas coaches and players at Wofford College before breaking off and doing their own work on an adjacent field.Panthers director of community relations Riley Fields said it is the first time an NFL team has practiced alongside a high school team.Fields said the organization wanted to celebrate the NFLs Play 60 initiative by doing something special and unique. He said the Panthers needed to clear everything with the NFL, the NCAA and state high school officials before the project initiative was granted.Everyone said, `Wow this is a great idea, Fields said. ... We felt it was a special day for our players and for the Spartanburg High School football players.Panthers coach Ron Rivera said when Fields initially approached him about the idea he was against it. But the NFL Coach of the Year soon changed his mind once he realized it could be a huge benefit to the high school athletes.To me its about the love of the game and bringing it back to the community, Rivera said.Spartanburg High School coach Chris Miller said he thought it was a joke at first when his office received a call about practicing with the Panthers.It is just an unbelievable opportunity for us, Miller said.Miller said watching an NFL team run through simmilar drills to what they run in practice was an important lesson for his players. Wholesale Jerseys. Were constantly talking about it and they are doing it over and over again. Now they see guys who have paid the price and look where it has gotten them, Miller said.Rivera said the experience was also fun for his players.When you talked to some of our guys they had a chance to reminisce about the good old days, Rivera said. I was standing over there watching (the Vikings) earlier and it took me back to playing at Seaside High School. It was kind of neat.Linebacker Thomas Davis, the elder statesman of the Panthers, said it was an opportunity he would have loved to have had as a teenager growing up playing football in Shellman, Georgia.It will go a long way in these kids lives knowing they had an opportunity to practice with Panthers, Davis said. I impressed upon the kids the importance of coming out here and working hard and being able to do your job and listen to your coach.Davis, who regularly exchanges trash talk with Cam Newton during practice, also had a little fun with the high school players.He even convinced one of them to talk some trash to Newton.I was kind of feeding him stuff to say to Cam, Davis said with a laugh. 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