It was one of the key recommendations contained in 69-page report released today which was commissioned by USA Track and Field's (USATF) new chief executive, Doug Logan, who was disappointed in the team's performance at the Olympics in Beijing last year.

 

Americans led all countries with 23 medals but failed to live up to expectations in many areas.

 

Their seven gold medals were the lowest haul since the 1997 World Championships.

 

The task force is called "Project 30," a reference to the sport's target of winning 30 medals at the 2012 London Olympics.

 

The nine-person panel, which included Carl Lewis, winner of a record nine Olympicsgold medals medals, and 2004 Athens marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor, decried an overall "lack of accountability, professionalism and cohesion" among staff, coaches and athletes.

 

The group suggested athletes focus more on winning medals, less on things such as appearance fees and access to televisions in the Olympic Village.

 

To spearhead all the changes, the task force called for the hiring of a general manager to oversee all aspects of USATF, which long has been criticised as being too bogged down in internal politics.

 

Though not specifically asked to cover the doping issue, the task force did anyway, saying "this is the single most important issue to the long-term success of track and field, domestically and internationally."

 

America has one of the worst doping records in athletic history with several of its athletes caught up or implicated in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco) scandal, including Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Kelli White.

 

Gatlin missed the chance to defend his Olympics title in Beijing after testing positive for testosterone despite appealing through the courts.

 

He hopes to return to compete in London 2012.

 

The task force called for current anti-doping standards to be augmented by the USATF, saying cheaters should be reinstated only if they provide depositions under oath "detailing what went into their decision to cheat, how they obtained and used their drugs, and who contributed to their cheating."

 

It also called for cheats who want to return to enter a "rehab" program so they can learn how to compete cleanly after their suspensions.

 

The task force conceded the system they recommend likely would be challenged in the courts, but believes the USATF "has a moral obligation to make the effort."

 

The report said: "Any legal costs will be more than repaid by the culture shift it will help establish."

 

The group also concluded athletes do not focus enough on winning, or achieving their personal bests, at the Olympics.

 

The draconian US 10-day Olympic trials, which includes two rest days, might be part of the problem, the task force claimed.

 

The panel did not recommend any change in the awarding of spots to the top three finishers in each event, provided they have an Olympic qualifying standard.

 

That leaves the US team vulnerable to injuries of top athletes, such as when the world champion Tyson Gay was injured during 200 metres qualifying rounds and failed to make the event in Beijing.

 

But the task force said a shorter schedule and fewer entrants was a good idea, because the event taxes athletes emotionally, physically and financially and does not necessarily set them up for their best performance at the Olympics.

 

It acknowledged truncating the event could hurt ticket and television revenue.

 

The report said: "But USATF must not lose sight of the fact that the purpose of the Olympic trials is to select the best Olympic team that will go on to perform at its peak at the Games themselves.

 

"Financial and other concerns should be secondary to this goal."

 

The most scathing criticism was directed at the American relay effort.

 

The men's and women's 4x100m teams each dropped the baton in qualifying - a debacle that punctuated the underachieving effort of the entire team.

 

The panel called for the American Relay Programme - which spent more than $1 million (£669,000) and trained 173 athletes from 2003-08 - to be disbanded immediately.

 

The panel also recommended that with few exceptions, funding be focused on athletes in their early 20s.

 

They said: "That may be a bitter pill to swallow for many athletes, some of whom may be winning national championships at age 27, 28 or older.

 

"But if these athletes are not winning medals or earning top-10 world rankings by that point in their careers, USATF cannot afford to continue to provide additional funds to them."