Two-time Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Peter Vidmar was chosen chef de mission (team leader of the 700+ US athletes) for the 2012 London Olympic Games, but held the position for less than one week. He resigned the prestigious honor after a large outpouring of negative attention from both the media and the US Olympic Committee. The USOC had just chosen him for the position.

Vidmar is opposed to gay marriage and supported the 2008 California Proposition Eight, an initiative which defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. This initiative overturned a California Supreme Court ruling that permitted same-sex marriage within the state.  The USOC originally supported the choice of Vidmar, but quickly sent out a press release stating that this distraction would be a detriment and disservice to the US team. Vidmar promptly resigned. 

Said openly gay US figure skater Johnny Weir to the Chicago Tribune:  "It's disgraceful to have a person with Vidmar's views and actions in a position which makes him the symbolic head of the American team. It's wrong and it isn't just about gay rights, it's being allowed equal rights as Americans".