The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) announced today that the Central Cross Country Ski Association (CXC) was named as a new Community Olympic Development Program (CODP).

A non-profit and independent organization based in Verona, Wis., the CXC is recognized by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) as the Regional Organization charged with governing cross country skiing in the Central Region.

“The Central Cross Country Ski Association has been working in this direction for the last four years by developing programs and hiring high-quality staff members to run them,” said Yuriy Gusev, Executive and Athletic Director of the CXC. “This designation also shows our commitment to the long term sport specific development of young athletes and their athletic excellence as well as our commitment to outreach and increasing participation in cross country skiing around the region.”



The CXC supports more than 1,300 members throughout Eastern Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.  The organization includes 871 athletes, 40 percent of whom are younger than 13. Athletes come from all levels of the sport, youth and junior skiers, collegiate and elite athletes, master/citizen skiers and disabled individuals.

“CXC is a great addition to the CODP as they not only espouse the Long Term Athlete Development sport model, focusing on skill development and age appropriate training, but also are integrated into USSA’s development pipeline,” said Alicia McConnell, USOC Director, Athlete Services and Programs. “They are an organization that has the aptitude and enthusiasm to expand opportunities for young people to get involved and excel in cross country skiing.”


The CXC becomes one of seven current CODPs, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, the Midwest Weightlifting Club (Lake County, Ind.), the Moorestown Weightlifting Club, San Antonio Sports, the Springfield Greene Country Parks and Recreation and the Utah Athletic Foundation.

The Community Olympic Development Program works with the National Governing Bodies to develop community sport programs and impacts developmental athlete performance by building partnerships, accessing community resources, and leveraging USOC resources to create, develop and enhance Olympic sport feeder systems. 


For more information, please contact the USOC Communications Division at (719) 866-4529, or visit www.teamusa.org.