Turin, Italy ? Losing softball and baseball was tough enough. Losing a place on the Olympics’ most powerful body could be even more painful for the United States.

The diminished U.S. clout in the Olympic movement slipped even further Friday when Jim Easton failed to retain a seat on the IOC executive board.

Anita DeFrantz withdrew her own candidacy at the last minute to try to give Easton a better chance.

Call it 0-for-4 for the Americans at this week’s International Olympic Committee assembly.

“I let down the U.S. by not being able to keep a place on there,” said Easton, who had served as an IOC vice president for four years.

The loss of U.S. influence comes down to several factors, including anti-American sentiment, growing European control of the IOC and the fallout from political turmoil and leadership changes at the U.S. Olympic Committee in recent years.