Li Li Leung to Step Down as USA Gymnastics CEO

Li Li Leung, who took over the president and CEO role at USA Gymnastics during a tumultuous time for the national governing body and helped lead the organization to a significant turnaround, has announced that she will step down from her role at the end of 2025.

Leung was hired in 2019 in the wake of the Larry Nasser sexual abuse scandal that rocked not just the sport but the entire sports world. Since her hiring, she worked to guide the NGB through a cultural transformation that began a new chapter for the Indianapolis-based organization.

“The opportunity to lead USA Gymnastics has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime,” Leung said. “Thanks to the dedication of the entire gymnastics community, we are now in an incredible position as we turn our attention to the L.A. Olympic Games. The last several months have been a time of great reflection and I know that now is the right time to pass the torch to the next leader, with the sport and organization thriving. I wanted to ensure the board has the opportunity to conduct a thorough search and also give my successor a long runway into the 2028 Olympic Games. I’m going to take some time to reset before determining what is next and I look forward to USA Gymnastics accomplishing great things in 2025 and beyond.”
USA Gymnastics had filed for bankruptcy months before Leung’s arrival in the hopes of reaching settlements in the dozens of lawsuits it faced from women who blamed it for failing to supervise Nassar, a former national team doctor who sexually abused them under the guise of medical treatment.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee was in the process of stripping USA Gymnastics of its status as the national governing body for the sport. After Leung’s arrival, the lawsuit was settled in late 2021. The USOPC eventually halted the decertification process and corporate partners reengaged and, in some instances, even expanded their relationship.

“Li Li was the right leader at the right time for USA Gymnastics and accomplished in six years what many thought was not possible,” said Board Chair Kathryn Carson. “Her deep passion for gymnastics and extraordinary dedication to leading transformation has positioned USA Gymnastics to move boldly toward LA28. With this strong foundation, we are confident we will identify a leader to build on Li Li’s legacy.”

Among her accomplishments at USA Gymnastics, Leung helped oversee a new mission statement and set of organizational values that prioritizes athlete safety and saw a transformation of the NGB’s workforce, with 70 percent turnover from the previous era. She also helped established an Athlete Bill of Rights in December 2020 and helped the NGB emerge from bankruptcy in 2022. She has also led an effort to consider a new host location for the NGB’s headquarters.

The NGB also began a restoration with corporate sponsors, highlighted by the largest partnership in its history, a five-year deal with Nike that extends through the 2028 Olympic Summer Games. On the grass roots level, USAG now has more than 3,300 member clubs, nearly 240,000 members, and sanctions more than 3,500 events on an annual basis.

USA Gymnastics also saw a return to the podium, with 11 medals including women’s team gold at the 2024 Olympic Games, men’s team bronze medals in Paris and the 2023 World Championships, 10 medals at the 2023 Trampoline & Tumbling World Championships including team gold, the first-ever medal for an American at a rhythmic World Championships at the 2023 Junior Worlds, and the first World Cup and World Championships medals for American parkour athletes.

CAA Executive Search will lead the search for Leung’s successor, with the goal to find a permanent replacement by the end of the year.