The Chicago Tribune reports that Alderson, who is also a former vice-president of Major League Baseball (MLB), and Wielgus are among those being considered to replace Stephanie Streeter, who became acting chief executive after Jim Scherr was forced out in March, following a nationwide search conducted by recruitment firm Spencer Stuart.

But she announced, after Chicago's failure to win its bid to host the 2016 Olympics in October, that she did not want to be considered for the permanent job.

Other candidates on the short-list include Scott Blackmun, who was formerly the USOC's general consul and acted as its temporary chief executive in 2000-2001; Norm Bellingham, the current chief operating officer of the USOC; and Mark Lewis, the President of Jet Set Sports, a global hospitality company who are heavily involved in Olympic marketing and who led the joint marketing venture between organisers of the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics and the USOC. 

The Chicago Tribune also reported that there is a sixth unnamed candidate for the $500,000 a year post who has a corporate background and has no formal links to the Olympic Movement.

It is believed that that all the candidates will be interviewed in San Francisco next week and that the successful applicant will be named early in the New Year.

It will be the USOC's tenth chief executive since 1988.

Patrick Sandusky, the USOC spokesman, told the Chicago Tribune: "Out of respect for the process, we are not going to comment on speculation about candidates.

"We feel the process is going along nicely with the timetable of having a new CEO in place by early next year."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].


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