Courtesy: U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today announced the hiring of Dr. Jonathan Finnoff, D.O., as its chief medical officer. Reporting to the chief of athlete services, Finnoff will be responsible for setting and implementing the USOPC’s strategic direction for promoting holistic athlete well-being – including physical and mental health – in ways that directly improve Team USA athletes’ day-to-day lives, on and off the field of play.
“We recently updated our mission to ensure that sustained well-being for our athletes, along with competitive success, is at the forefront of everything we do and who we are,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “We are excited to welcome and entrust Jonathan with the important responsibility of evolving and leading our world-class medical strategy in support of American athletes and their pursuit of excellence, in both competition and in life.”
Finnoff’s hire marks the latest development to the USOPC’s athlete services division. Implemented in 2019, the new division realigned existing departments, including sports medicine, to advance the support and resources available to Team USA athletes – specifically in the areas of athlete safety and wellness, engagement and communication – as a balance to high-performance services.
In his new role, Finnoff’s key areas of responsibility will include oversight of USOPC sports medicine personnel, policies and procedures, and collaborating with various stakeholders – including National Governing Bodies, international partners, external providers and internal departments – to foster the sustained health and wellness of American athletes through excellence in evidence-based medical, technological, preventative and recovery support services.
With more than two decades of experience in medical treatment of sports injuries, Finnoff joins the USOPC after serving as medical director for the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center in Minneapolis, where he has served as a team physician for the Minnesota Timberwolves NBA and Lynx WNBA teams since 2014. A former professional athlete, he has also served as a team physician for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association since 2003, specializing as the head team physician for the U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team for the last five years during which time he accompanied Team USA to the Olympic Winter Games in 2014 and 2018. He was first introduced to the Olympic and Paralympic movements in 2002, when he served as medical director of the Soldier Hollow athletes’ clinic for the Olympic Games and the venue medical officer at the Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City.
“It is truly an honor to be selected by the USOPC for this position,” said Finnoff. “I’m looking forward to working with Team USA, USOPC leadership, National Governing Bodies, and our Olympic and Paralympic partners to advance the health and well-being of the athletes representing our nation.”
Finnoff earned a Bachelor of Arts from University of Colorado, Boulder, and a doctorate of osteopathic medicine from the University of New England. He specializes in and has published original research related to sports and musculoskeletal medicine with an emphasis on diagnostic and interventional ultrasound procedures, regenerative medicine, sport concussions, and injury risk and prevention.
Finnoff will relocate to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and begin his role March 2.