LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — USA Luge has accepted the resignation of longtime executive director Ron Rossi.

The executive board says it decided to move the organization in a new direction. The change comes less than a year before the Sochi Olympics.

An interim executive director will be appointed while the board conducts a search for a new director.

Rossi, a 1984 Olympian who became the first American luger to finish in the top 10 in the Winter Olympics, was executive director for 28 years. He also served as an athlete representative on the National Luge Committee, executive board and National Team Committee.

Rossi helped oversee the growth of USA Luge, and the team won Olympic doubles medals at the 1998 and 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The U.S. team also has had success at world championships.