Interim USA Gymnastics Head Mary Bono, Criticized For Anti-Nike Tweet, Resigns After Five Days

Mary Bono resigned on Tuesday as interim president and CEO of USA Gymnastics after only five days in charge.

Mary Bono Out As USA Gymnastics Leader

The former Republican congresswoman from California was criticized by Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and others over a tweet in which she appeared to blast Nike. Bono was appointed as interim chief of the sport’s governing body on Friday. In a USA Gymnastics news release, she was praised for her leadership, communication, and ability to “coalesce people with differing views.”

In September, she took to Twitter to respond to Nike promoting former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick.

In a now-deleted photo, Bono, 56, blotted out a Nike swoosh on a pair of golf shoes with a black marker, following the lead of angry Nike owners who burned and destroyed their goods after the Kaepernick endorsement.

“Playing in a charity golf tournament raising money for our Special Forces operators and their families. Unfortunately had these shoes in my bag. Luckily I had a marker in my bag too….” she wrote in the tweet.

Biles, the face of the USA team and a Nike-endorsed athlete, responded back to the tweet. Quoting Bono’s tweet, Biles replied: “*mouth drop* don’t worry, it’s not like we needed a smarter usa gymnastics president or any sponsors or anything.”

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Later Saturday, Bono acknowledged the tweet and said she wanted to turn the focus on what she plans to accomplish as USA Gymnastics’ leader.