Her appointment was confirmed by the Board of Directors at the governing body which is looking to recover from the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal.

Bono replaces Kerry Perry, who resigned after just nine months in the top job following criticism of her handling of the Nassar case.

She takes on the job immediately and will stay in place until a permanent successor is found.

A former gymnast, Bono was most recently principal at Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting in Washington D.C, working in the area of legislative strategies and policies.

She was also a member of the US House of Representatives for 15 years, representing Southern California.

Her work has included the protection of youngsters against drug abuse, for which she has won awards for her efforts.

"I am delighted to reconnect with the sport that was such an important part of my life growing up," said Bono. 

"I look forward to working with the entire gymnastics community during these challenging times to create a safe, supportive and healthy environment where our gymnasts can achieve their fullest potential and our community can thrive."

Dozens of women, including Olympic athletes, have accused Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor, of abuse.

He carried out his attacks under the guise of medical treatment and is currently serving a jail term of up to 175 years.

The crisis has led to fierce criticism of both USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee over what they knew and when and whether they could have prevented the abuse.

"Mary is known to be an outstanding communicator who can coalesce people with differing views and perspectives," said USA Gymnastics board chair Karen Golz. 

"Mary is passionate about the sport, and having her as our interim president and CEO will move the organisation forward."