Proposal Could Let the USOC President Serve Another Term

DENVER —  If a proposal recommended by the legislation committee is adopted by the U.S. Olympic Committee’s executive board at meetings here this weekend, Robert Helmick could serve what, in effect, would be his third term as president.

Some executive board members have suggested that the proposed legislation represents a power play by Helmick, but the Des Moines, Iowa, lawyer said upon arriving here Friday that he does not plan to run for reelection when his current four-year term expires in 1993.

“I’m not planning to run, and I don’t have any plans to change my plans,” he said.

At the same time, however, he would not rule out the possibility.

“At this point, I don’t think anyone should rule out anything.” he said. “There are all sorts of hypothetical situations that could occur, and it’s just not appropriate to speculate.”

Under USOC rules, a president elected to serve a four-year term cannot succeed himself. But Helmick, 52, was able to run for reelection last February because he had not served an entire four-year term after succeeding the late John B. Kelly Jr., who died in March, 1985, one month after he was elected.

Legislation under consideration here that would enable the president to be elected to two consecutive four-year terms was proposed by the National Governing Bodies Council, a group consisting of representatives from Olympic and Pan American Games sports.

Helmick said that he supports the proposal.

“To get policies enacted and to get programs going, I think it is important for the president to serve more than four years,” he said. “There should be more continuity.”

Peter Lippett of Oakland, chairman of the council, said the president also would be more influential internationally if he served more than one term.

“Other countries are constantly confused by the changes in USOC administrations,” he said. “They don’t know who to deal with and who to develop relationships with, which has resulted in their lack of confidence in the United States.

“So we feel that the U.S. interests would be better served by a president who is in office longer. That was our overriding concern.”

No one from the United States has had more international influence than Helmick since Avery Brundage was president of the International Olympic Committee. Helmick was elected in August to the IOC’s executive board.

But Lippett said that his council did not have Helmick in mind when it submitted the proposal. He also said that he believes Helmick supports it because he has the best interests of the USOC at heart and not because of personal ambition.

“He knew that this proposal was going to come up, but nobody should think that it came from him because it didn’t at all,” Lippett said. “I don’t think he looks at it as an opportunity to succeed himself. He has indicated to us that he would not run again. He said that this issue should be decided on its merits and not on the effect it would have on him.”

Asked if he believes Helmick would run for reelection, Lippett said: “I really believe that Bob is a team player and pro-USOC. If there was such a groundswell of support for him, I think, knowing the man, he would consider it. But I think he has every intention of not running again.”

Others, however, are not sure how to interpret the legislation.

“I think there are two ways to look at it,” said Ray Essick, executive director of the U.S. Swimming Federation. “It could be a power play. Or it could just be a way that we as an organization can keep our options open until we see who is going to run for president next time.”

During his more than four years as president, Helmick has made the president’s role increasingly important as he has overseen the shift of power from the USOC’s administrative headquarters in Colorado Springs to the members, particularly the national governing bodies. That, understandably, has made him more popular with the members than with some among the administrative staff. He ran for reelection in February without opposition.

Now it appears as if Helmick also will have his own man as executive director in Colorado Springs. Harvey Schiller, who resigned last week as commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, is expected to be elected today as the executive director, replacing Baaron Pittenger.