Hightower set a world record in the 60-yard hurdles in 1980 that still stands but was denied the opportunity of competing in the Moscow Olympics that year because of the Jimmy Carter-led boycott over the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

 

But she will now have the chance of leading the sport as it prepares for the London Games as onlythe  second ever female president of USATF.

 

She succeeds two-term incumbent Bill Roe, whose eight years as USATF president officially comes to an end today, the final day of the organisation's annual meeting.

 

Hightower said: "I'm excited about the opportunity to serve this organisation.

 

"We have a multitude of opportunities that lie before us, and I'm just happy that I'll have the opportunity to work with the USATF family and move the sport into the 21st century."

 

Hightower was the US women's team manager at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

 

She was also the chief of the delegation for US at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships in Paris, served as head team manager at the 1999 World Championships in Seville and was an assistant manager for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

 

Hightower currently serves as vice-president for Institutional Advancement for the Columbus College of Art & Design, where she is responsible for leading marketing and communications, media relations, philanthropy, community relations, alumni engagement and legislative affairs.

 

Hightower was the forefront of plans for the US track & field team to base themselves in Birmingham before London 2012 due to her close links with Ian Stewart, the 1972 Olympic 5,000 metres bronze medallist who was recently appointed as head of endurance for UK Athletics and who is from the Midlands city.

 

The US team finished top of the athletics medals table at the Beijing Olympics earlier this year with 23 medals, seven of which were gold.