tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/australian-olympic-committee-28185/articlesAustralian Olympic Committee – The Conversation2021-12-08T03:38:04Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1734252021-12-08T03:38:04Z2021-12-08T03:38:04ZAustralia will follow US in diplomatic boycott of China’s Winter Olympics<p>Australia will impose a diplomatic boycott on the February Winter Olympics in China. But the Australian team will still take part.</p>
<p>The government’s move follows the United States’ lead, triggered by China’s human rights breaches. </p>
<p>Announcing the decision on Wednesday, Scott Morrison said: “People have been very aware that we have been raising a number of issues that have not been received well in China and there’s been a disagreement between us on those matters.</p>
<p>"The human rights abuses in Xinjiang and many other issues that Australia has consistently raised – we have been very pleased and very happy to talk to the Chinese government about these issues and there’s been no obstacle to that occurring on our side.</p>
<p>"But the Chinese government has consistently not accepted those opportunities for us to meet about these issues.</p>
<p>"So it is not surprising, therefore, that Australian government officials would […] not be going to China for those Games.”</p>
<p>But Australian athletes would be competing, he stressed. “Australia’s a great sporting nation and I very much separate the issues of sport and these other political issues. They’re issues between two governments.”</p>
<p>The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the boycott would include non-attendance by officials from the Australian embassy.</p>
<p>The government’s position differs from that of the Fraser government which urged a <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/malcolm-fraser-bitter-memories-of-push-to-boycott-1980-olympics/news-story/434a496de9260c104920bb35ecaca218">full boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow</a>, in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This followed the stand by then US president Jimmy Carter.</p>
<p>The Fraser government’s stand led to a split with the then Australian Olympic Federation which voted by a narrow margin to send a team, although some athletes did not go.</p>
<p>The chief executive officer of the Australian Olympic Committee, Matt Carroll the AOC was “heartened” by Morrison’s support for the Australian team. </p>
<p>“Human rights are extremely important, but the considered view of diplomats is that keeping channels of communication open is far more impactful than shutting them down, ” Carroll added.</p>
<p>The AOC is expecting to send about 40 athletes to the Beijing Games.</p>
<p>Labor said in a statement from shadow foreign minister Penny Wong and sports spokesman Don Farrell that it supported the decision not to send officials and dignitaries.</p>
<p>“We hold deep concerns about ongoing human rights abuses in China, including towards Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities, and about athlete safety given questions about the treatment of tennis player Peng Shuai. </p>
<p>"This decision, alongside other countries’ diplomatic boycotts, sends a strong signal that these are not the behaviours of a responsible global power.</p>
<p>"Our athletes have trained hard for years towards this opportunity and didn’t choose where the Winter Olympics are being held. It is appropriate that they are not the ones asked to make a sacrifice.</p>
<p>"The Australian government must ensure our team is supported by Embassy staff on the ground,” Labor said. </p>
<p>A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canberra said under Olympic rules, dignitaries were invited by their respective national Olympic committees. </p>
<p>“Australia’s success at the Beijing Winter Olympics depends on the performance of Australian athletes, not on the attendance of Australian officials, and the political posturing by some Australian politicians,” the spokesperson said.</p>
<p>The spokesperson said “the blame for the current predicament of China-Australia relations lies squarely on the Australian side. China once again urges the Australian side to take practical measures to create favorable conditions for improving bilateral relations. </p>
<p>"The Australian side’s statement that it will not send officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics runs counter to its publicly pronounced expectation to improve China-Australia relations.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173425/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australia will impose a diplomatic boycott on the February Winter Olympics in China. But the Australian team will still take part.Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/636482016-08-09T20:08:56Z2016-08-09T20:08:56ZAre the Rio 2016 Games a true measure of Australia’s Winning Edge?<p>Australia has had a good start to the Rio Olympics, appearing well placed for a more successful campaign than the London Games. But does that mean the strategy created in response to Australia’s poor Olympic performance in 2012 is working? </p>
<p>Under its new policy – known as <a href="http://ausport.gov.au/ais/australias_winning_edge">Australia’s Winning Edge</a> – the Australian Sports Commission set high targets for the national Olympic team. The strategy projects a top-five finish on the medal tables for the 2016 and 2020 Games. </p>
<p>While, on the one hand, the government has been praised for setting such high standards, it has also been criticised for implementing a funding model that clearly favours traditional sports with a proven record. Former Australian Institute of Sport director and world champion marathon runner <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/olympics-2016/rio-olympics-2016-questions-raised-over-credibility-of-the-australian-institute-of-sport/news-story/bd42e39b0c804d03371cd14d619fb002">Robert de Castella</a> has criticised the policy for just “going for easy medals”.</p>
<h2>Winning ways</h2>
<p>Australia’s Winning Edge was implemented in late 2012, following the disappointing performance of the Australian team at the London Olympic Games. </p>
<p>The ten-year strategy marks a strong shift for Australian sport, and supporters and critics alike will be watching the results at Rio to evaluate its success. But athletes competing in Rio are there as a result of the previous sports strategy. </p>
<p>Before 2012, government funding embraced a “<a href="https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/aust_sport_path/$file/aust_sport_path.pdf">whole-of-sport</a>” approach that rewarded disciplines with a large participation base and clear pathways for athletes. But the high-performance <a href="http://www.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/634682/High_performance_investment_allocation_model_2015-16.pdf">investment allocation model</a> supporting the new strategy categorises sports according to their contribution to its targets. </p>
<p>Those with a record of achieving multiple medals or having consistent team success will receive support. So will sports most likely to achieve a top-eight finish at the Games or garner gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. But those that fail to meet these criteria receive less funding. </p>
<p>One sport that has already felt the impact of the new funding model is artistic gymnastics. The <a href="http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/wa-gymnastics-community-rally-in-perth-over-wais-decision-to-axe-elite-program/news-story/36e5198c9fe5ef5f13ea59ebf6c2cd84">Western Australian Institute of Sport</a> (WAIS) cut its women’s artistic gymnastics program after the Australian team didn’t qualify for the Rio Games earlier this year.</p>
<p>Only the top 12 nations in the world qualify to send a team to compete in the Olympic Games and this was the first time Australia hasn’t qualified for 28 years. </p>
<p>Although other state-based institutes have retained their women’s artistic gymnastics programs, WAIS had produced Olympic and Commonwealth champions for many years, as well as training athletes who transitioned successfully into other Olympic sports such as aerial skiing, snowboarding, and diving. </p>
<p>WAIS claimed its decision to redirect funds was made in order to prioritise Western Australia’s contribution to “<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-12/wais-closes-doors-on-gymnast-program/7621876">Australia’s international sporting success</a>”.</p>
<h2>Rio and beyond</h2>
<p>The concern among many involved in less popular sports is that the government’s sport investment focus is now only supporting successful sports and successful athletes. But how do athletes become successful without support structures and systems around them? And how can sports develop and nurture talented athletes with no funding? </p>
<p>Prior to the implementation of this new strategy, the Australian Institute of Sport housed and developed Olympic champions. It no longer operates a daily training hub for pre-elite or developing athletes. </p>
<p>And there are no residential full-time athlete programs based at the Institute. What was once considered a “gold medal factory” is now described as a “<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/federal-government-to-review-australian-institute-of-sport-operations-five-months-out-from-rio-olympics-20160221-gmzn37.html">tumbleweed town</a>”. </p>
<p>The Winning Edge strategy is focused on supporting traditional sports that have historically been successful at the Olympic Games, such as swimming, rowing, sailing and cycling. </p>
<p>But Australia’s first medal at Rio was in archery, a sport not identified to contribute to the Winning Edge performance targets. <a href="http://www.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/634681/Investment_allocation_2015-16.pdf">In 2015-2016, it was allocated</a> A$600,000, compared to sports such as basketball ($4.7m), cycling ($7.8m) and swimming ($8.4m).</p>
<p>Public criticism of the strategy by the Australian Olympic Committee president <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/olympics-bosses-claim-credit-for-archery-medal-in-rio-20160807-gqn5s4.html">John Coates</a> suggests we can say goodbye to these lesser-known sports and athletes winning surprising medals. </p>
<p>At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Winning Edge strategy will have been in place for eight years. We will then be able to identify how the program has contributed to the development of the next generation of Australian athletes across all Olympic sports. </p>
<p>The results in four years’ time will truly reflect the impact the strategy has had on sport development, sport participation and sport pathways in Australia. That is, of course, if the strategy remains in place after the Rio Games.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63648/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lisa Gowthorp does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australia has had a good start to the Rio Olympics. But does that mean that the strategy created in response to Australia’s poor Olympic performance in 2012 is working?Lisa Gowthorp, Assistant Professor of Sport Management, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/636612016-08-09T04:56:03Z2016-08-09T04:56:03ZHorton wins by naming the elephant in the room at Rio Olympics<p>He may not realise it yet, but Australian swimmer Mack Horton’s biggest achievement at the Rio Olympics this week wasn’t winning the 400m freestyle gold medal. It was the stance he took against doping, in reference to Chinese rival Sun Yang, by saying he had no <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/olympics-swimming/i-dont-have-time-or-respect-for-drug-cheats-mack-horton-tears-into-sun-yang-20160806-gqmptz.html">time or respect for drug cheats</a>. </p>
<p>The Sun Yang doping case is not a new one; the Chinese swimmer, who is in Rio as the reigning 400m and 1500m London Olympics champion, served a <a href="https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/sun-yang-doping-case/">secret three-month ban in 2014</a> after a positive test to trimetazidine (a stimulant used to treat angina). Neither is it a particularly severe example of doping; there are other athletes competing at Rio with longer doping histories.</p>
<p>But what does feel new and unusual is the strength and clarity of the public anti-doping stance that the 20-year-old Horton has taken as an athlete in the midst of competition. Rarely do we see such unscripted individual honesty on difficult topics such as doping, right in the middle of arguably the biggest international sporting stage.</p>
<p>What has also been a little surprising – but welcome nonetheless – is the swift and equally strong support shown to Horton by various Australian officials from bodies such as <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/olympics-swimming/swimming-australia-rallies-behind-mack-horton-as-doping-row--escalates-20160807-gqn847.html">Swimming Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee</a>, and <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-09/rio-2016-no-apology-mack-horton-china-sun-yang-kitty-chiller/7703312">Australian chef de mission Kitty Chiller</a>. Sports officials are typically strong on doping anyway, but usually quieter on individual cases to avoid public controversy. </p>
<h2>All kinds of consequences</h2>
<p>Horton’s stance is also fraught for a number of reasons. Some have argued there’s a <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rio-olympics/rio-olympics-2016-swimming-sun-yang-mack-horton-row-stokes-diplomatic-tensions/news-story/c525b3df7d5a48d5d892e0d7c286643c">geopolitical aspect</a> to the matter that may yet play out at the diplomatic level. There may also be legal questions around the limits of what can be said or implied about an already sanctioned athlete. </p>
<p>Then there’s the chance that this issue could escalate to the detriment of Horton’s, and possibly the Australian swim team’s, coming performances. Yang supporters are already <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/olympics-swimming/rio-olympics-2016-mack-horton-bombarded-with-abuse-for-his-baiting-of-chinese-rival-sun-yang-20160807-gqn4fb.html">targeting Horton on social media</a>. <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-08/china-demands-apology-from-mack-horton-over-attack-on-sun-yang/7699644">Chinese officials are calling for an apology</a>, which is presumably adding some pressure. </p>
<p>If there’s even a hint that this episode is a distraction from the main game, the official support for Horton could easily weaken. It’s not hard to imagine the media questioning Horton’s focus and strategy if he’s bested by Yang in the 1500m heat on Saturday morning, or if the Australian swim team “underperforms” from now.</p>
<p>That said, I think Horton’s position on this issue is the right one. Swimming Australia president John Bertrand was also right in calling Horton’s 400m gold medal a <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/olympics-swimming/john-bertrand-mack-horton-gold-medal-was-a-defining-moment-of-rio-olympics-20160807-gqn83l.html">“defining moment”</a> of the Rio Olympics. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133472/original/image-20160809-20932-njihpq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133472/original/image-20160809-20932-njihpq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133472/original/image-20160809-20932-njihpq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133472/original/image-20160809-20932-njihpq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133472/original/image-20160809-20932-njihpq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133472/original/image-20160809-20932-njihpq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/133472/original/image-20160809-20932-njihpq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Yulia Efimova (pictured, left), who has served a 16-month suspension for doping and tested positive for meldonium this year, has been criticised by fellow Olympians Lilly King (pictured) and Fiona Doyle.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dominic Ebenbichler/reuters</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But this is a story that goes way beyond medal counts. The Rio Olympics might finally mark the moment in international sport when more athletes start to speak out against doping and make known their views and frustrations about the current state of affairs.</p>
<h2>Something in the air</h2>
<p>There are already some encouraging signs. Horton hasn’t been the only one making his views clear in Rio. We’ve also had <a href="http://www.independent.ie/sport/rio-2016-olympics/tearful-irish-swimmer-fiona-doyle-lashes-out-at-cheats-after-devastating-exit-34946541.html">Irish swimmer Fiona Doyle speak out</a> against doping after her 100m breaststroke heat was won by the Russian Yulia Efimova, who has served a 16-month suspension for doping and tested positive for meldonium this year:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Cheaters are cheaters and FINA caved and it’s not fair on the rest of the athletes. She has tested positive five times this year and she has got away with it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The American swimmer Lilly King also <a href="http://www.independent.ie/sport/rio-2016-olympics/watch-american-lilly-king-wags-the-finger-and-calls-out-at-drug-cheat-rival-yuliya-efimova-34947645.html">expressed her disapproval</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>You wave your finger ‘Number 1’ and you’ve been caught drug cheating … I’m not a fan.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I’d like to see more athlete-led action and words like those we have seen so far from Horton, Doyle and King. And we should hear more from athletes in other sports where there’s clearly still controversy – sports such as <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/olympics-cycling/drug-controversy-around-lizzie-armitstead-casts-shadow-over-womens-olympic-road-race-20160807-gqmwj3.html">cycling</a>, <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/rio-olympics-2016-kenya-team-official-recalled-from-rio-over-drug-cheat-sting/news-story/21e0a915227733c60963ed2c2a37e6af">athletics</a> and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/sports/olympics/blinded-to-doping-amid-the-olympics-spectacle.html?_r=0">weightlifting</a> to name just three.</p>
<p>Why don’t our Olympic cyclists denounce the dopers riding with them in Rio? And why haven’t we heard from our track and field athletes about the cheats next to them on the start line?</p>
<h2>The plot thickens</h2>
<p>As for Horton and Yang’s rivalry, a fascinating showdown is looming when the swimmers meet in heat five of the 1500m on Saturday. One senses that this is a story with a narrative arc that Horton could not possibly have predicted when he uttered the words “drug cheat” at the poolside.</p>
<p>If Horton beats Yang and goes on to medal in the 1500m final, the narrative continues to be one of a clean athlete vanquishing a rival competitor with a history of doping. </p>
<p>But if Yang prevails, the anti-doping sentiments from within Australian swimming – and perhaps other parts of the world – could become louder. And Horton could yet be criticised for a lack of judgement and focus if he doesn’t triumph over his rival.</p>
<p>Either way, this episode rightly shines a light on the topic of doping in sport and invites us to consider the question of how athletes with previous positive doping tests should be treated. It also highlights the question of how clean athletes ought to be behave and what they should or should not say in relation to past, current and suspected dopers in their midst.</p>
<h2>Making the change</h2>
<p>Doping in sport is a cultural phenomenon; it’s not simply the result of individual choices made in isolation. The cultural change needed to tackle the issue needs to come from athletes, both as individuals and as a collective. </p>
<p>And sports governing bodies need to support change with a serious and unambiguous official approach to doping. That can’t be an approach that permits some athletes, teams and countries with a history of doping to compete while excluding others.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the official anti-doping rhetoric doesn’t match the cultural reality within some sports. With the exception of some philosophers and academic researchers, most people are against doping in sport. </p>
<p>And yet, we can still see sports governing bodies, federations, codes, teams and clubs that leave dopers in positions of influence in sports administration, promotions and coaching; let some dopers compete but not others; and celebrate past dopers as heroes.</p>
<p>The best chance of reducing and perhaps even one day eliminating doping will be the words, actions and changes led and prompted by athletes themselves as the key actors within their own sporting cultures. It might be time for the anti-doping officials and experts who aren’t helping to get out of the way.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63661/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Craig Fry leads the Culture and Values in Health research program at the Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, and is a Research Affiliate of the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living, Victoria University. He has received research funding from the NHMRC, ARC, philanthropic bodies, and federal and state governments.</span></em></p>Rarely do we see such unscripted individual honesty on difficult topics such as doping, right in the middle of arguably the biggest international sporting stage.Craig Fry, Associate Professor, Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/605202016-06-08T20:09:22Z2016-06-08T20:09:22Z‘Character’ and ‘behaviour’ off the field should not be selection criteria for the Olympics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125630/original/image-20160608-15034-bpfgr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C86%2C3409%2C2046&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tennis star Nick Krygios has withdrawn himself from possible selection for the Rio Olympics, citing 'unfair' treatment by the AOC.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/Ian Langsdon</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Having already courted considerable controversy in a relatively short career, tennis player Nick Kyrgios last week withdrew from probable selection for the Rio Olympics. Kyrgios said he made this decision because of the Australian Olympic Committee’s (AOC) “unfair and unjust treatment” of him and because “the AOC has chosen to publicly and privately disparage me”. </p>
<p>Kyrgios claimed that Kitty Chiller, the chef de mission of the Australian Olympic team, had unfairly targeted him as being “on watch” due to his <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/nick-kyrgios-pulls-out-of-rio-olympics-20160602-gpajov.html#ixzz4AlAQ7ygR">perceived behavioural issues</a>. </p>
<p>Chiller responded that there were “<a href="http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/olympics-australia/rio-2016-kitty-chiller-continues-hard-line-on-nick-kyrgios-after-bernard-tomic-pulls-out-20160513-goues0.html">a couple of athletes on notice</a>”. She revealed that other potential Australian Olympians, including shooter Michael Diamond and hockey player Anna Flanagan, received similar correspondence from the AOC. The letters requested an explanation of charges that have been <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/olympics-2016/olympic-games-michael-diamond-and-anna-flanagan-wait-to-hear-if-theyve-dashed-own-rio-dreams/news-story/e6c86ef7adfd76046fd8e127c96d510f">laid against each of them</a>. </p>
<p>All three athletes – Diamond, Flanagan and Kyrgios – were asked:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>… to respond to where it could be perceived that they have bought themselves, their sport or the Olympic movement into disrepute. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It appears the AOC has not singled out Kyrgios for harsher treatment than others, so claims of unfairness could be dismissed. But the case for the AOC would be even stronger if similar letters had been handed out to the troublemakers from previous games, such as certain members of the London swim team. </p>
<p>Many prominent journalists have supported the AOC’s position. <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/sport/offsiders/content/2016/s4475974.htm">Caroline Wilson</a>, <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/index.html?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&mode=premium&dest=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/olympics-2016/nick-kyrgios-ditching-the-olympics-is-no-great-loss-to-australia--but-just-might-be-to-him/news-story/80f529182d9005820ba291bbb08ad9ef&memtype=registered">Robert Craddock</a> and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/the-fitz-files/rio-olympics-2016-aoc-chef-de-mission-kitty-chiller-is-right-nick-kyrgios-is-wrong-20160603-gpb7e1.html">Peter FitzSimons</a> have all applauded the strong stance taken by Chiller and the AOC.</p>
<p>So, what to make of it? There is both integrity and courage in the AOC’s stand, especially at a time of budgetary tightness. Chiller and the AOC have demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice potential medals in tennis, shooting and hockey to protect the reputation of the AOC and the Olympic ideal. Chiller <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/sport/offsiders/content/2016/s4475974.htm">has said</a> she is “very comfortable” with that possibility. </p>
<p>Kyrgios’ claims of injustice are probably a more difficult matter to determine, and tie directly both into the process that was followed and the justification for it. </p>
<p>TV host Waleed Aly <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/sport/offsiders/content/2016/s4475974.htm">explained the problem excellently</a>: the issue was the process was carried out in the public arena and specific athletes were named as “on watch”. </p>
<p>This problem, described by Kyrgios as the AOC’s public disparagement of him, would be solved by a more diplomatic handling of questions from the press, and the AOC’s determination to keep the specific athlete names private. After all, the financial livelihoods of athletes in the contemporary age rely heavily on their reputations. </p>
<p>The latter issue of justification of the process is more troublesome. It is difficult to justify the AOC putting athletes on watch for either their behaviour in their professional workplace or because of their out-of-sport behaviour. This is normally justified by pointing to organisational reputation or integrity. </p>
<p>Integrity is one of the favourite buzzwords of sports management. It is a powerful word. It goes beyond mere compliance with rules or practices. It evokes the image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird; of a person defiantly sticking to worthy principles in the face of personal danger. </p>
<p>However, in practice, integrity has been used <a href="http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/01/28/public-interest-invasions-of-athlete-privacy-cause-for-concern/">to justify any number of intrusions</a> into the private lives of athletes. Consider that Flanagan was asked to “please explain” why she kept her drink-driving charge secret from Hockey Australia. My response would be “because they don’t need to know”.</p>
<p>While the signing of AOC team agreements <a href="http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2016/06/01/anna-flanagan-drink-driving/">includes clauses regarding disclosure</a>, I would question the justification for these clauses. Arguing that athletes can choose not to represent their country if they don’t want to sign a contract ignores the constraint that this places on athletes. </p>
<p>Privacy should matter here, and athletes should not be forced to reveal things that do not affect their ability to carry out the demands of their athletic work. </p>
<p>I certainly believe that employment behavioural standards matter, and that the behaviours of Olympians <em>at the Olympics</em> should be monitored and evaluated. But I’m not convinced that athletes should be judged and selected on the basis of some broader behavioural matrix, which has a whiff of the old days of the Olympics when professional athletes were banned. </p>
<p>Ethicists often test claims by applying them to broader categories. Consider whether the journalists who ardently support the actions of the AOC would agree to the same employment standards being applied to their own profession. </p>
<p>Would these journalists support pre-emptive strikes against colleagues in the press office who had previously exhibited bad behaviour, including bad behaviour outside of their professional world, such as drink driving? If so, it might be a lonely pressbox at Rio.</p>
<p>The issue here is not that journalists are not representing their country in the way that athletes are. The issue is that the employment rights of certain athletes have the potential to be curtailed on the basis of things that occurred outside their work.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/60520/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Burke does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Three potential Olympians have been sent “please explain” letters from the Australian Olympic Committee, but there is little ethical justification for this.Michael Burke, Senior Lecturer, College of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.