Michele Kang to invest $50m in women's athletes health

Michele Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit , has announced a $50m global investment in improving the health of elite female athletes.

Kang, who also owns Lyon and London City Lionesses , officially launched Kynisca Sports International Ltd, the first global organization focused exclusively on women's soccer across multiple teams.

Central to Kang's vision is the creation of the Kynisca Innovation Hub (KIH), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing female athletic performance.

Unveiled by Kang at an event in Paris, KIH has set a goal to raise $100m to support its mission, with Kang contributing $50m in seed funding and matching donations.

"With so little investment in sports science focused on women, we have only begun to unlock the potential of female athletes on the pitch," Kang said in a statement. "Kynisca Innovation Hub will become a pioneer of female performance research -- so we can stop training women as if they are simply small men -- and unlock their true potential."

Kang announced her first investment this week -- $4m donation for the USA women's rugby sevens program after they claimed a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics . The aim, with Kang's donation, is to claim a gold medal at the 2028 LA Olympics in four years' time.

Bill Goren, the chief executive of USA Rugby, said: "We are stunned and beyond grateful for this transformative gift from Michele to advance USA Women's Rugby. This increase in support will ensure we can deploy the resources to the right places to win when it matters the most, inspiring a nation of rugby players and solidifying our place on the world stage."

Kang stated her intention to combine the resources and expertise of her clubs while also investing in initiatives across Africa, the United States, Asia, and Europe. She plans to use KIH to "revolutionise training methods and unlock athletic potential for all female athletes, through research, education and innovation."

"We will provide opportunities for girls and women worldwide to access high-level sport and reach their potential under the best conditions," Kang continued. "Significant resources will be devoted to developing capabilities that will be shared across all teams, such as performance science and technology, data analytics, global scouting, and sporting staff development."