ORLANDO, FL — December 20, 2024 — Curt Clausen, a three-time Olympian and the only American man ever to medal in the race walk at the World Athletics Championships, was elected to a four-year term as president of USA Track & Field on Saturday. Delegates at the USATF Annual Meeting selected Clausen to serve a four-year term and succeed outgoing President Vin Lananna. From 2014 to 2018, Clausen served on the USATF Board of Directors and has been heavily involved in the organization. His contributions include roles on the Law & Legislation, Audit, Budget, Race Walk, and Athletes Advisory Committees, serving on the National Athletics Board of Review and being a member or administrator in five different USATF Associations. Clausen is also a director for the New York Athletic Club’s Athletes’ Fund, a charity that raises funds to support elite athletes, and chaired the NYAC track and field team from 2008 to 2016. For the past decade, Clausen has worked as senior vice president for Major League Baseball and general counsel for Tickets.com, a global ticketing technology company and wholly owned subsidiary of Major League Baseball. He is responsible for managing the company's strategic and tactical legal initiatives. Prior to Tickets.com, Clausen was an associate at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in the antitrust/competition and sports practice groups. Clausen achieved notable success as an athlete. He earned a bronze medal in the 50km walk at the 1999 World Championships in Seville and finished seventh at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton. A four-time World Championships team member, Clauson won twenty-nine USATF national titles and still holds five American records in the walks, including a 3:48:04 for 50km in 1999. He represented Team USA at three Olympic Games, competing in the 20km race walk in Atlanta 1996 and the 50km race walk in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. USATF CEO Max Siegel said: “I am delighted to welcome Curt Clausen as the new president of USATF. He brings a wealth of experience to the role as an accomplished athlete and business leader, making him uniquely qualified to guide our organization through our next quadrennial journey. I look forward to working closely with him to continue fostering excellence across all levels of track and field in the United States.” USATF president-elect Curt Clausen said: “I am deeply honored to be elected president of USATF and grateful for the trust the delegates have placed in me. I am committed to advancing the opportunities and resources available to our athletes, coaches, and the USATF community. Together, we will build on USATF's legacy and continue to grow and elevate the organization on and off the track.” A 1990 Duke University graduate with a bachelor's degree in Public Policy, Clausen earned his JD in Law from Duke in 2007 and holds a master's degree in Public Administration from North Carolina State.
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the national governing body for track and field, long-distance running, and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the country's No. 1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org.
Aarti Parekh – aarti.parekh@usatf.org