INDIANAPOLIS -- The interim president of USA Gymnastics is out of the job after less than a week.
Mary Bono was appointed Friday. Her short tenure as the head of USA Gymnastics saw her face repeated criticism.
"It is with profound regret, coupled with a deep love for the sport of gymnastics and respect for those who aspire to be great gymnasts, that I today tendered my resignation as the interim CEO of USA Gymnastics," Bono said in a statement.
"My withdrawal comes in the wake of personal attacks that, left undefended, would have made my leading USAG a liability for the organization."
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles criticized a tweet Bono posted, showing her covering up a Nike logo on a shoe after the company released ads featuring former NFL Colin Kaepernick. Biles wrote, "don’t worry, it’s not like we needed a smarter usa gymnastics president or any sponsors or anything."
As Biles' tweet went viral, Bono deleted her tweet and wrote that she hoped to "move the focus to all I hope to accomplish on behalf of a great sport & those who are dedicated to it."
Women who were sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics trainer Larry Nassar also criticized Bono's appointment because Bono worked at the law firm that represented USA Gymnastics during investigations into Nassar. Olympian Aly Raisman, who was abused by Nassar, wrote on Twitter that the firm "helped cover up our abuse."
More than 200 women have come forward saying they were sexually abused by Nassar, who is now serving a prison sentence for sex crimes.
Bono, a former U.S. representative from California, was appointed as the interim president and CEO after Kerry Perry resigned in September after nine months on the job. USA Gymnastics has formed a search committee to find a permanent replacement.
