I am a veteran sports editor with a top 10 media outlet. I have worked with hundreds of sports federations' communications directors, marketing specialists and other officials. In my experience, only one organization's media department has been consistently and egregiously disagreeable and unprofessional: USA Gymnasstics, as led by Leslie King, Vice President of Communications. In addition to my own unpleasant and odd interactions with her and members of her department, my writers and photographers have repeatedly advised me that, other than toward gymnastics specialty media, King and her staff lack basic professional courtesy, organization, accessibility, promptness and flexibility. Because my staff journalists and freelancers strongly desire to not speak or work with her and/or her employees/interns, I avoid assigning gymnastics events as much as possible, especially in non-Olympic years. I would otherwise cover this dynamic sport more often.
Publishing positions have become scarce at best, so I'm not going to risk my livelihood by signing my name. If you doubt the validity of this report, ask established sports journalists other than gymnastics specialty media about their experiences with King and the media relations department at USA Gymnastics. I am not the only editor or journalist to take this position.