STUTTGART, Germany – the Tokyo Olympics begin in just over nine months, and gymnasts aren’t the only ones living with uncertainty.

USA Gymnastics remains in bankruptcy proceedings and is still in settlement talks with survivors of Larry Nassar’s abuse. He is also waiting for the US Olympic and Paralympic games to remove the threat of desertification. With its future still very much in limbo, the new leadership of the governing body is working as if it will hold its status, in the hope that it will prove that it deserves to be allowed.

“We have plans to address (the criteria the USOPC will consider) and we have already taken steps to address them as well,” Lee Lee Leung, who took over as CEO of USA gymnastics in March, told USA sports TODAY. “We are moving on the trajectory that we have planned for ourselves and put in place, and have updated the USOPC on progress.

“I believe they are happy with the progress so far,” Leung added. “But we still have a lot of work to do and we recognize that as well.”

Hundreds of girls and young women, including Olympic Champions Simone Biles, Ali Raisman, Gabby Douglas and Mckayla Maroney said they were abused by Nassar, a longtime team doctor for USA gymnastics and Michigan state. Horrific enough, the abuse also exposed serious flaws in the way USA gymnastics works. 

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The CEO at the time, Steve penny, was forced due to criticism he and the Federation misused abuse complaints. He was later charged in Texas with tampering with evidence, a third-degree crime, after it was revealed that he ordered the removal of medical records from the karolyi ranch, where the national team held its training camps.

Gymnasts complained about a culture of fear and intimidation and criticized the next CEO, Kerry Perry, doing next to nothing to interact with them or Nassar survivors. Perry was eventually forced to leave, too.

After USA gymnastics failed to properly vet interim head Mary Bono, new USOPC CEO Sarah Hirschland had enough, announcing in November 2018 that she was moving to strip it of its status as the sport’s national governing body.

 Out of balance: How USA gymnastics didn’t report abuse

It seemed to have finally caught the attention of the Federation. Chief operating officer Ron Galimore, who helped provide cover for Nassar, was ousted. Catherine Carson, who was the General counsel of the U.S. Golf Association, was appointed Chairman of the Board.

And in February, USA Gymnastics announced it was hiring Leung, a former gymnast and longtime NBA Executive, to become its new CEO.

Visibility was a priority for Leung, as was asking for feedback. She, Carson and Stephanie corepin, recently hired as the programs ‘ chief officer, were all here for the world Championships, and all three were seen mingling with gymnasts and their coaches.

“We want to hear them, we want to listen to them,” Leung said.

It didn’t go unnoticed.

“I really, really appreciate Lee Lee’s leadership,” said Tom Forster, the women’s team coordinator. “I really appreciate her understanding of what all athletes are going through and support. I’m very, very happy about it.

But it will take more than a few photo OPS to turn USA gymnastics around.

The USOPC said the Federation must show improvement in leadership stability, financial stability, athlete safety and restoring trust in the community in order to maintain its governing body status.

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Leung is slow to do the former, and her hiring was a dramatic departure from what the organization and others in the Olympic movement are used to seeing. Instead of people isolated in sports or even the Olympic movement, Leung hires were a combination of gymnastics and business experience.

Korepin, for example, is a former gymnast who has spent the last decade in renewable energy.

“My belief is that the more diverse the perspectives we have at the negotiating table, the more robust the discussion,” Leung said. “And the end product is better because of that.”

After consulting with survivors – both men and women of all generations – USA gymnastics revised its SafeSport policy. He began rolling out webinars, and eventually there are programs for athletes, coaches, parents and gym owners.

The SafeSport team has also traveled to all regional gymnastics conferences as well as some state conferences.

“It’s important that the community understands that this is a shared commitment,” Leung said. “That everyone in the community should get on Board in order to be able to provide the safest environment possible for our athletes.

“It’s the only way that we can all be successful.”

The USOPC put the desertification process on hold while USA gymnastics goes through bankruptcy, but Hirschland said she is “pleased” with the changes so far. Leung has spoken frequently with the USOPC, and Hirschland recently met with her and the rest of the Federation’s leadership to discuss the changes they have made and what they plan to do in the future. 

“(Leung) in many ways, rebuilding the organization, “Hirschland told USA sports TODAY,” and we believe that’s what needs to happen.”  

That doesn’t mean USA gymnastics is in the clear, however, even with the Olympics fast approaching.

Hirschland said the decertification process will likely remain in place as long as USA gymnastics is going through bankruptcy. But she said the USOPC also has contingency plans in place if it no longer becomes acceptable for USA gymnastics to oversee the sport.

It cannot completely shield athletes from distractions, Hirschland said, but it can assure them that their training will not be disrupted.

“The tools they need, the resources, the learning environments, all of those things – we have ample scope to ensure that doesn’t change,” she said.

While the future of USA gymnastics is certainly of interest to athletes and their coaches, it is also not a major concern. They will give their input when asked, but it is the job of USA gymnastics and the USOPC leadership to fix problems that should never have happened in the first place.

Their job is to compete. And no matter what happens, there will be gymnasts representing the United States in Tokyo.

“The U.S. Olympic Committee is still there, and the girls, the elites, will still be there,” said Brian Carey, the father and coach of jade Carey, who won team gold and vault silver at the world Championships. “We just go ahead and focus on us.”

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA gymnastics shows visible signs of progress, but obstacles remain

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