tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/sporting-events-42464/articlesSporting events – The Conversation2023-03-15T12:22:37Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2015402023-03-15T12:22:37Z2023-03-15T12:22:37ZWhat’s the carbon footprint of March Madness?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515313/original/file-20230314-5944-ntrn39.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=59%2C44%2C4937%2C3281&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The environmental cost of that ticket is high.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/SWACTexasSouthernGramblingBasketball/6c96a2568e5d4b989670515108337c53/photo?Query=march%20madness&mediaType=photo&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=16200&currentItemNo=0">AP Photo/Butch Dill</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515356/original/file-20230315-3349-rv145j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515356/original/file-20230315-3349-rv145j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515356/original/file-20230315-3349-rv145j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515356/original/file-20230315-3349-rv145j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515356/original/file-20230315-3349-rv145j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515356/original/file-20230315-3349-rv145j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515356/original/file-20230315-3349-rv145j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>March Madness means 68 teams vying to become champion, Cinderella runs for a few underdogs and big business for the NCAA, which <a href="https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/ncaa-division-one-college-sports-march-madness-revenue-distribution-2023/">earns 85% of its annual operating budget</a> during the men’s basketball tournament. </p>
<p>But all of that comes at a tremendous cost: An estimated 463 million pounds (210 million kilograms) of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions are released into the atmosphere during the <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/mml-official-bracket/2023-03-12/2023-ncaa-printable-bracket-schedule-march-madness">three-week event</a>. That’s similar to all the emissions of a large university – such as 2019 champion <a href="https://reports.aashe.org/institutions/university-of-virginia-va/report/2021-03-04/OP/air-climate/OP-2/">University of Virginia</a> – for an entire year. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/carbon-emissions-2586">These greenhouse gas emissions</a> warm the planet, contributing to heat waves, sea level rise and extreme weather. <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Carbon_dioxide_equivalent">Carbon dioxide equivalent</a> is a way of measuring the impact of several different greenhouse gases at once.</p>
<h2>Crunching carbon for large-scale event</h2>
<p>A colleague, <a href="https://jacoop.weebly.com/">Alex Cooper</a>, and I came up with this figure based on data for the 2019 NCAA Tournament. </p>
<p>Past research on the carbon footprint of sporting events has primarily focused on one-city events, such as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2008.12.006">Football Association Challenge Cup in the U.K.</a> and centralized events <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00696-5">like the Olympics</a>. Little prior research has sought to determine the environmental impact of a large-scale sporting event like the NCAA’s men’s basketball tournament. </p>
<p>In addition, when sports organizers do calculate and report emissions for their events, they typically only report <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2019-0254">what happens at their facility</a> during the event. They don’t consider the environmental impact, for example, of travel to and from the event. </p>
<p>So, we wanted to know, what’s the carbon tally for a huge and <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/03/25/why-americans-are-consumed-by-basketballs-march-madness">popular event</a> like March Madness?</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128475">For our peer-reviewed study</a>, which was published in October 2021 in the Journal of Cleaner Production, we aimed to estimate the carbon emissions for all the activities that go into running a massive basketball tournament that takes place in multiple cities across the country in a short span of time. While our estimates are based on 2019, we believe that tournament-generated emissions are comparable to other years, including 2023.</p>
<p>We looked beyond facilities to consider team and fan flight and automobile travel, facility operations, food consumption, waste generation and lodging for everyone based on each team’s progression through the 2019 tournament. We used attendance estimates to determine the impact of <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1813/70974">hotel stays</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.07.052">fan and team air</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2014.06.003">and automobile</a> travel, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2020.1726802">waste generation</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2011.12.054">food consumption</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2014.896141">sport facility operations</a> to form our carbon emission model. </p>
<p>Based on our model, we found that this resulted in 463 million pounds of CO2 equivalent emissions. That’s about 1,100 pounds (499 kilograms) for every player, coach and fan who attends. That amount is the same as <a href="https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle">driving over 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) in a typical sedan</a>. </p>
<p>The biggest source of emissions by far was, as you might expect, fan and team travel, which accounted for about 79.95% of the total. The next-largest was hotel stays at 6.83%, followed by food at 6.37%, stadium operations at 5.9% and general waste at 0.95%.</p>
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<p>What surprised us most was that the category of travel as a share of the total was lower than in previous studies that analyzed the carbon footprint of sporting events. But that was primarily because, unlike in those other studies, we considered many other aspects of the event, such as lodging, food and waste.</p>
<h2>Ways to mitigate impact</h2>
<p>So what can the organizers of March Madness – or any tournament, really – do to reduce the carbon footprint? </p>
<p>Since travel makes up so much of that footprint, targeting emissions from long-distance travel, such as flights, may be one of the most effective ways to lower the event’s overall impact, as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2014.06.003">other researchers have noted</a>.</p>
<p>While travel can’t be completely eliminated for a tournament like the NCAA’s, organizers could consider more regional placements to reduce the distances fans and teams must travel. For example, in 2019, Mississippi State, Liberty, Virginia Tech, Saint Louis and Wisconsin all traveled to San Jose, California. The idea would be for more games to take place regionally to decrease travel distances. This would not only reduce carbon emissions but could also increase profits by making it easier for more fans to attend.</p>
<p>And when evaluating host cities and sites, the NCAA could consider local policies that encourage sustainable hotel operations. For example, during the 2019 tournament, California host sites had more <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1813/70974">energy-efficient hotel operations</a>, thus reducing the second-highest contributor to overall emissions. The same could be said about selecting arenas and sport facilities that are energy efficient.</p>
<p>March Madness brings tremendous value and enjoyment to college basketball fans throughout the country. While its carbon footprint can never be eliminated, there are ways to reduce its overlooked environmental cost.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201540/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brian P. McCullough does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>All those Cinderella stories, buzzer-beating finishes and wild cheering sections have a high price tag – for the climate.Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management and Director, Center for Sport Management and Education and the Laboratory for Sustainability in Sport, Texas A&M UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1882652022-08-11T12:15:25Z2022-08-11T12:15:25ZWhat’s dynamic pricing? An operations management scholar explains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495969/original/file-20221117-20809-9cqghw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=108%2C119%2C3520%2C2203&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It can cost a bundle to see popular performers like Taylor Swift.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/songwriter-artist-of-the-decade-honoree-taylor-swift-news-photo/1425749504?adppopup=true">Terry Wyatt/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Whether you’re booking a plane ticket at the last minute, hoping to snag seats for a popular concert or looking to go to a lackluster preseason football game, you might encounter what’s known as <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/01/08/dynamic-pricing-the-secret-weapon-used-by-the-worlds-most-successful-companies/?sh=3427f249168b">dynamic pricing</a>.</p>
<p>Using this strategy, companies adjust what they are charging in response to demand. They can cut or raise the prices as high as the market will bear in real time to maximize the money they make through sales.</p>
<p>In addition to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/03/how-do-airlines-price-seat-tickets.html">airlines</a> and <a href="https://www.sportico.com/business/commerce/2017/nfl-teams-using-dynamic-pricing-1775/">sports teams</a>, <a href="https://www.mews.com/en/blog/dynamic-pricing-hotels">hotel chains</a>, <a href="https://medium.com/@info_1143/dynamic-pricing-in-the-car-rental-industry-97ef8b2b7c9d">car rental companies</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-ubers-surge-pricing-work-and-how-ethical-is-it-35574">ride-sharing platforms</a>, <a href="https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/music/ticketmaster-dynamic-pricing">entertainment companies</a>, <a href="http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Why-Do-Cruise-Lines-Do-the-Things-They-Do">cruise lines</a> and any <a href="https://adage.com/article/datadriven-marketing/walmart-s-everyday-low-prices-face-amazon-s-dynamic-push/301613">retailers selling seasonal goods or hot items</a> use dynamic pricing.</p>
<p>It relies on specialized software and <a href="https://blog.griddynamics.com/predictive-analytics-for-promotion-and-price-optimization/">sophisticated algorithms</a> to closely monitor the remaining number of products available, along with how much time remains before item must be sold or wasted. Prices get adjusted accordingly.</p>
<h2>Why dynamic pricing matters</h2>
<p>Sports and entertainment industries have a big incentive to use dynamic pricing.</p>
<p>Since tickets to sports and entertainment events can be resold, any gap between their face value and what fans are willing to pay leads to <a href="https://seatgeek.com/tba/articles/secondary-ticket-market-and-resellers/">openings in the market for brokers</a>.</p>
<p>For popular events such as playoff games or once-a-decade tours, technologically advanced brokers <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ticketmaster-canada-fights-bot-during-nba-finals/">can snap up large numbers of tickets from the original seller</a> and resell them with huge markups that don’t benefit the sports teams, artists or venues.</p>
<p>When a team, an entertainment company or a vendor it has hired uses dynamic pricing, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/mar/14/john-oliver-ticketmaster-live-music-costs">at least ideally</a>, more ticket revenue flows into the pockets of the people responsible for the events. That is, if concertgoers will ultimately pay <a href="https://www.popbuzz.com/music/artists/taylor-swift/news/tickets-dynamic-pricing-the-eras-tour-ticketmaster/">US$449 to see Taylor Swift perform</a>, it makes more sense for them to pay an official vendor that sum, not a scalper who paid $75 for tickets they never intended to use. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People enjoying a rock concert with a light show" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478306/original/file-20220809-14-dx597e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=146%2C172%2C5604%2C3276&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478306/original/file-20220809-14-dx597e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478306/original/file-20220809-14-dx597e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478306/original/file-20220809-14-dx597e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478306/original/file-20220809-14-dx597e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478306/original/file-20220809-14-dx597e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478306/original/file-20220809-14-dx597e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Ticket prices for a coveted show can spike.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/rock-concert-royalty-free-image/627682404?adppopup=true">gilaxia/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Swift, Springsteen ticket fiascos</h2>
<p>To maximize the money made through sales, dynamic pricing makes sense. However, fair treatment is an important factor in pricing decisions since <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1806070">customers don’t want to be exploited</a>. That is probably why sports teams and entertainment companies <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2012/03/19/In-Depth/Ticket-pricing.aspx">have been reluctant</a> to set prices at sky-high levels that might harm their reputations. </p>
<p>When dynamic pricing results in people feeling gouged, <a href="https://twitter.com/BillWerde/status/1550268184326012929">a public outcry</a> can ensue. A good example occurred in the summer of 2022 when Ticketmaster, the leading U.S. ticket seller and distributor, <a href="https://americansongwriter.com/ticketmaster-comments-on-the-5000-bruce-springsteen-tickets-after-fans-express-concern/">charged fans $5,000 apiece</a> or more for some of the best seats for <a href="https://brucespringsteen.net/">Bruce Springsteen’s 2023 tour</a>.</p>
<p>Taylor Swift fans suspect the same thing happened in November 2022 after the presale for her next tour – her first in four years – <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/technology/live-nation-ticketmaster-investigation-taylor-swift.html">broke down</a>. Ticketmaster’s systems crashed amid high demand – about <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-sale-canceled-music-concert-tour-70c8a21059174c37a06b7a8475239b06">2 million tickets were sold on one day</a> – resulting in sky-high resale prices, frustrating fans. A Ticketmaster executive told me dynamic pricing wasn’t used and the prices were fixed throughout the sale.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Ticketmaster has <a href="https://variety.com/2022/music/news/ticketmaster-bruce-springsteen-dynamic-pricing-defends-1235324318/">argued dynamic pricing is the industry standard</a>, so don’t expect it to go away anytime soon. </p>
<p><em>The article was updated to include comment from Ticketmaster executive.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188265/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ovunc Yilmaz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>This strategy to get the highest prices the markets will bear can lead to problems, as fans of Taylor Swift know all too well.Ovunc Yilmaz, Assistant Professor of Operations, University of Colorado BoulderLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1840272022-06-29T12:11:37Z2022-06-29T12:11:37Z‘O Canada’: Why I no longer stand for the national anthem<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465812/original/file-20220527-21-6n3xfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C0%2C4650%2C3183&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs hockey players stand for the national anthem in Toronto in 2018. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/-o-canada---why-i-no-longer-stand-for-the-national-anthem" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The Canadian national anthem plays a part in many of my fondest sport memories. When my dad took me to the Saddledome as a kid, I would stand up as someone took centre ice to sing before a Calgary Flames game. I belted it out when the Canadian Women’s hockey team beat the Americans <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/olympics-usa-canada-womens-hockey-rivalry-history-timeline-beijing-2022">at the 2002 Olympic Games</a> and shivers ran down my spine when Canadian athletes won Olympic gold.</p>
<p>Now, as a critical sport scholar and parent, I see the anthem very differently. </p>
<p>I’m struck that my kids have to listen to the anthem daily or weekly before school and when we attend elite sporting events. I’m struck not by the anthem as celebration, but by the anthem as production. I’m struck by the purposeful way in which the anthem is ritually performed in ways and at moments geared to produce national pride. </p>
<p>The Canadian government has actually codified both the “<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/anthems-canada.html#a3">history of the national anthem</a>” and the “<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/anthems-canada.html#a4">timing and etiquette for anthem use</a>.” These government documents make the intended meaning of the anthem clear: “When the first familiar chords of ‘<em>O Canada</em>’ play at schools, hockey games and other events, Canadians stand with pride in honour of their country.”</p>
<p>The anthem is not just the stuff of fond memories. It is part of how the nation is made and remade, of how belonging is asserted.</p>
<h2>Politics and sport</h2>
<p>That the Canadian government specifically mentions a sporting event is worth closer consideration. Often, we hear the idea that sport isn’t — or shouldn’t be — political. </p>
<p>We hear it when <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/mar/12/ioc-under-fire-after-dismissing-claims-of-genocide-against-uighurs-in-china">the International Olympic Committee claims “political neutrality”</a> in considerations of human rights abuses in host countries. We hear it when <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/19/587097707/laura-ingraham-told-lebron-james-to-shutup-and-dribble-he-went-to-the-hoop">political commentators criticize athletes</a> for using their platforms to highlight important political issues.</p>
<p>Sport, in other words, is often dismissed as mere entertainment, simply a distraction from the “important issues” of the day. As sport scholars point out, however, sport is always political, always tied up in the production of key political ideas like <a href="https://thesocietypages.org/engagingsports/2019/01/07/whats-in-a-name-sexism-in-rock-climbing-route-names/">gender</a>, <a href="https://thesocietypages.org/engagingsports/2019/09/26/im-a-marijuana-user-and-a-good-person-race-and-marijuana-use-in-sport/">race</a> <a href="https://thesocietypages.org/engagingsports/2016/10/20/lol-at-multiculturalism-reactions-to-hockey-night-punjabi/">and ethnicity</a>, <a href="https://thesocietypages.org/engagingsports/2018/06/28/marchands-kissing-and-the-nhls-hypocrisy/">sexuality</a>, <a href="https://thesocietypages.org/engagingsports/2019/06/14/__trashed/">labour</a>, <a href="https://thesocietypages.org/engagingsports/2019/10/14/do-you-know-how-few-people-have-seen-the-view-were-seeing-right-now-outdoor-recreation-and-the-wilderness-ideal/">colonialism</a> and <a href="https://thesocietypages.org/engagingsports/2018/11/28/challenging-the-narrative-of-humboldtstrong-power-politics-and-sporting-nationalism/">nationalism</a>.</p>
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<img alt="A man and a woman with blue jays jerseys that say canada on the back stand with the field in the background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465815/original/file-20220527-12645-f5n716.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465815/original/file-20220527-12645-f5n716.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465815/original/file-20220527-12645-f5n716.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465815/original/file-20220527-12645-f5n716.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465815/original/file-20220527-12645-f5n716.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465815/original/file-20220527-12645-f5n716.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465815/original/file-20220527-12645-f5n716.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Toronto Blue Jays fans stand for the national anthem before a game in 2013.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>At sporting events and elsewhere, national anthems do important effective and ideological work; they do not simply celebrate a nation, but <a href="https://opus.uleth.ca/handle/10133/5953">actively construct the nation and our attachments to it</a>. They hearken to very particular histories and ideas about these lands: “our” histories, and what we “stand on guard for.” </p>
<p>This ritualized performance before NHL playoff games, or Blue Jays games, or other events, tell very particular stories about the nation and our relationships to it. </p>
<p>These stories erase a past and present characterized by <a href="https://theconversation.com/ignore-debaters-and-denialists-canadas-treatment-of-indigenous-peoples-fits-the-definition-of-genocide-170242">anti-Indigenous genocidal</a> violence.</p>
<h2>I don’t stand for the anthem</h2>
<p>As I said to a loved one in a heated debate in the summer of 2021 after the first of the so-called “discoveries” of <a href="https://theconversation.com/reckoning-with-the-truths-of-unmarked-graves-of-indigenous-children-education-systems-must-take-action-166151">unmarked graves</a> at the sites of former residential schools, you can love a country and still hold it to account. We must remember, too, that Indigenous Peoples have spoken about these unmarked graves for years; in fact, <a href="https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2015/trc/IR4-9-4-2015-eng.pdf">Volume 4</a> of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report is entitled <em>Canada’s residential schools: Missing children and unmarked burials</em>. So these were only “discoveries” from a Euro-western perspective.</p>
<p>I don’t stand for the anthem anymore; that’s part of how I’m trying to hold Canada (and myself) to account. My refusal is not about Canada’s “past misdeeds,” a phrase we hear too often. It is about ongoing genocide being perpetrated on the very lands celebrated in song as “our home and native land.” </p>
<p>I don’t stand for the anthem because of <a href="https://mediaindigena.libsyn.com/ep-89-child-welfare-as-an-arm-of-the-colonial-state">anti-Indigenous child welfare policy and practice</a>, <a href="https://mediaindigena.libsyn.com/-law-order-part-1-ep-260">systemic anti-Indigenous racism in the so-called justice system</a>, the <a href="https://ricochet.media/en/3530/unwelcoming-by-design-universities-struggle-to-overcome-anti-indigenous-roots">colonial higher education system</a>, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/forced-sterilizations-of-indigenous-women-one-more-act-of-genocide-109603">forced sterilization of Indigenous women</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/british-columbias-ban-on-birth-alerts-a-guiding-light-on-the-road-to-reconciliation-123896">birth alerts</a>. </p>
<p>I don’t stand for the anthem because colonial violence is not a discrete past event but an interconnected web of institutions, policies and practices <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-in-the-past-colonialism-is-rooted-in-the-present-157395">very much alive in the present</a> and continues to work to lay claim to these lands and governance thereon. As anthropologist Patrick Wolfe puts it, “invasion is a structure, not an event.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An image of an orange upside-down Canada flag reads no pride in genocide" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468560/original/file-20220613-13-p0jhc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468560/original/file-20220613-13-p0jhc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468560/original/file-20220613-13-p0jhc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468560/original/file-20220613-13-p0jhc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468560/original/file-20220613-13-p0jhc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468560/original/file-20220613-13-p0jhc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468560/original/file-20220613-13-p0jhc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A sign reads ‘no pride in genocide;’ the art was created by Alica Mistaken Chief.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Jason Laurendeau)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Canadian national anthem is not a benign <a href="https://exhibits.library.utoronto.ca/exhibits/show/ocanada/the----official----o-canada">celebration of a peace-keeping nation committed to human rights and international co-operation</a>. Rather, it is an assertion of belonging, one predicated on what I now understand to be <a href="https://www.yorku.ca/research/category/news/2019/01/canadas-residential-school-history-includes-state-sanctioned-violence/">state-sanctioned</a> terrorism. </p>
<p>So now each time I attend an event and I’m asked to “please rise for the national anthem,” I don’t. I wish to disrupt the naturalness of standing for the national anthem because that’s simply “what we do.” There is nothing natural about the ties between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/nps.2020.9">sporting events and nationalism</a>; this has long been a political process, one that can and should be questioned.</p>
<p>You can love a country and still hold it to account. I love Canada. But I won’t stand for the anthem at a sporting event or elsewhere, especially not when my kids are watching. If that makes me or others uncomfortable, makes me question my own belonging, then so be it. If that makes my kids uncertain, has them asking me and my partner questions, asking their social studies teachers questions, then so much the better. </p>
<p>I want them to love Canada too. And I want them to be part of building something more just than the Canada I know.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184027/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Laurendeau 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>You can love a country and still hold it to account. I love Canada. But I won’t stand for the anthem at a sporting event or elsewhere, especially not when my kids are watching.Jason Laurendeau, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of LethbridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1818232022-05-31T12:06:30Z2022-05-31T12:06:30ZFrench Open: understanding why Russian and Belarusian tennis players are competing despite Wimbledon ban<p>The world’s best tennis players are on court at the <a href="https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/">2022 French Open</a>, the first grand slam since <a href="https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-ukraine">the Russian invasion of Ukraine</a> began in February. Unlike <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-banning-russian-tennis-players-from-wimbledon-the-right-call-179551">Wimbledon 2022</a>, the French Open has decided to let Russian and Belarusian players <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tennis/news/french-open-2022-why-are-russian-and-belarusian-players-competing-roland-garros-not-wimbledon/i3ezncvyvbis0neapbpyd0ys#:%7E:text=French%20Open%20organisers%20have%20decided,Putin%20that%20sanctions%20would%20follow">compete</a>. </p>
<p>The French Open <a href="https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/roland-garros-french-open-does-not-plan-on-excluding-russians-from-event">decision</a> is in line with other tennis tournaments since the Russian invasion, which have allowed Russian and Belarusian players to participate. This outcome may partly be due to the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/61293193">backlash from players</a> and from the governing body of world tennis the International Tennis Federation (ITF), after the All England Lawn and Tennis Club (AELTC) and the Lawn Tennis Association banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing in all of the British grass court tournaments in 2022, including the third grand slam of the year, <a href="https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2022-04-20/statement_regarding_russian_and_belarusian_individuals_at_the_championships_2022.html">the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, England</a>.</p>
<p>The French Open organisers agreed that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus could compete without flags or national anthems. French tennis federation president <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1122502/french-open-russia-belarus-stance">Gilles Moretton</a> said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We are in line with the declaration of March 9, 2022 by all the sports ministries of the European Union and other signatory countries, which aims to impose on Russian and Belarusian athletes a regime of strict neutrality.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If Russian or Belarusian players do show support for the war, there will be sanctions, according to French Open tour director <a href="https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/roland-garros/2022/amelie-mauresmo-says-players-will-face-sanctions-for-pro-vladimir-putin-statements-at-french-open_sto8922236/story.shtml">Amélie Mauresmo</a>. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Russian and Belarusian national teams have been banned by the ITF from <a href="https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/russia-and-belarus-banned-from-davis-cup-and-billie-jean-king-cup-but-individual-players-can-compete_sto8823420/story.shtml">international team competitions</a>. </p>
<p>So far, the crowds in Paris have not shown any animosity to any of the Russian or Belarusian players. For instance, the 2021 US Open champion, Russian Daniil Medvedev, was applauded during his <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2022/05/24/daniil-medvedev-vs-facundo-bagnis-live-score-french-open-2022/">first round win</a>. </p>
<p>The International Tennis Federation’s response to the Wimbledon 2022 decision was to announce that players will not receive ranking points in any of the <a href="https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/itf-withdraws-ranking-points-for-wimbledon-juniors-and-wheelchair/">Wimbledon matches</a>. This includes the defending Wimbledon men’s singles champion, Novak Djokovic, who is set to <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/story/_/id/33977280/no-ranking-points-wimbledon-djokovic-medvedev-osaka-other-players-say-decision">lose his world number one ranking to Medvedev</a> on the basis that he cannot defend the 2000 ranking points he accumulated by winning the 2021 tournament.</p>
<h2>Politics in sport</h2>
<p>As the majority of countries are unwilling to use military force against Russia, sporting bans are another method of asserting pressure. This is effective for <a href="https://theconversation.com/banning-russia-from-world-events-will-help-to-alienate-putin-178255">various reasons</a> including restrictions on participating within international events or hosting international events and the added significant affect this has on tourism and aviation organisations within Russia. </p>
<p>Some believe that the players “silence” <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/wimbledon/wimbledon-2022-russian-and-belarusian-players-banned-daniil-medvedev-reaction-list-of-players-banned-atp-and-wta-statetment-aryna-sabalenka/news-story/3dbda60bff6533e31d73ee5efb183c17">makes them indirectly complicit</a>. But some, including the men’s world number eight, the Russian Andriy Rublev, have shown they are not in favour of <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/sport/russia-ukraine-andrey-rublev-war-b2023683.html">war</a>, sparking support for Russian and Belarusian players <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10034662-rafael-nadal-on-wimbledon-banning-russian-belarusian-players-im-sorry-for-them">from fellow players</a>. Many of the players banned for the tournament, inlcuding Medvedev, 2021 Wimbledon semi-finalist, Aryna Sabalenka, and two-time Australian Open champion, Victoria Azarenka, actually live in the <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/501850-french-open-weather-azarenka/">USA</a> and western Europe, in countries such as <a href="https://tennistonic.com/tennis-news/245483/why-medvedev-relocated-his-residence-to-monte-carlo-with-france-being-his-second-home/">Monaco</a>. They could endanger family members by criticising the invasion of Ukraine.</p>
<p>In the time of a war where millions of civilians are being displaced, should the careers of individual tennis players be factored over the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-018-0151-3">collective good</a> to stop innocent lives being ruined? This is a key political, philosophical and moral standpoint that is dependent on one’s perspective, deciding whether society must fight for the greater good, or whether for individuals’ rights. The Wimbledon decision ultimately may limit the value of the 2022 competition due to the strength of the field being diminished and the lack of ranking points on offer. What is clear is that the most effective way to implement a tournament rule is to ensure that all governing bodies across a sport make a joint decision, rather than tournaments making individual decisions that can lead to further discord.</p>
<p>Sport and politics have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1478-9302.12001">been intertwined</a> for more than 100 years – especially international and mega events. Throughout modern history, countries have routinely used sporting events for their own propaganda purposes. Sporting events have sometimes created moments and messages <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2018.1400782">that no other occasions can convey</a>. When hosting major sporting events, potent <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429345272">political messages are communicated across the globe</a>.</p>
<p>In certain situations, sport has been the only arena to convey political messages. This has sometimes been for positive means, via acts of defiance or resistance, challenging gender stereotypes and unifying nations that have been in internal conflict. The Black Power demonstrations by American athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2012.667823">1968 Mexico City Olympics</a>, the successes of the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa shortly after the end of the apartheid era, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2012.670127">Cathy Freeman’s gold medal</a> in the women’s 400m final at Sydney 2000, conveyed a symbolism that few other <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080701736957">mediums could have achieved as readily</a>. It is evident that, since the 2022 Winter Paralympics ban on Russian athletes, several sports’ governing bodies and organisations do not want to showcase a nation on the sporting stage while civilians are being <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2022.2005289">killed or displaced</a> by Russian military. </p>
<h2>Negative messages</h2>
<p>Some countries have used international <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/formula-one/formula-1-sportswashing-regime-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-b990413.html">sporting events</a> to showcase their nation in a different guise or for <a href="https://www.policyforum.net/sport-washing-soft-power-and-scrubbing-the-stains/">sportswashing</a> to improve <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/11745398.2015.1122534">their reputations</a>. </p>
<p>Research has explored the boycotts of international events such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14682745.2012.727799">Moscow 1980</a> and the counter-boycott of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2020.1845157">the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 1984</a>. Aside from South Africa during <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/40253495">apartheid</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09523360802367281">boycotts</a> rarely lead to <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/2/16/politicians-should-stop-wasting-time-on-doomed-olympic-boycotts">long-term change</a>. But perhaps there is still a moral imperative to try.</p>
<p>The sporting sanctions on Russia <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15387216.2014.985241">before and after the annexation of Crimea</a> were not severe enough to have a true impact, and Russia was still allowed to host the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2015.1109951">2018 FIFA World Cup</a>, despite the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/mar/16/boycott-world-cup-russia-royal-family">global diplomatic boycott</a>. </p>
<p>Often the sporting world has been too shortsighted and has forgiven too quickly.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181823/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr. Mike Duignan has previously received funding from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but for a topic unrelated to this article. Mike is also the Director of the Observatory for Human Rights and Major Events which is the UK's official Olympic Studies Centre, which is affiliated to the IOC's academic Olympic Studies Centre. However, the nature of this relationship is academic with the view to disseminate good social science concerning how we can enhance the social and economic benefits of hosting the Olympic Games for the host country, city and its citizens. This article was based on work funded by 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Research and Innovation grant agreement no. 823815.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leon Davis 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>Russian players are competing at the French Open, is this the right move?Leon Davis, Senior Lecturer in Events Management, Teesside UniversityMike Duignan, Head of Department, Reader in Events, and Director of the Observatory for Human Rights and Major Events, University of SurreyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1781312022-03-03T13:27:53Z2022-03-03T13:27:53ZFIFA’s suspension of Russia is a rarity – but one that strips bare the idea that sport can be apolitical<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449625/original/file-20220302-23-1ediffy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2951%2C2142&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Facing penalties.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/UkraineInvasionSports/8fa46eb5055c4109baa89571f3f6f76c/photo?Query=soccer%20ukraine&mediaType=photo&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=18066&currentItemNo=45">AP Photo/Petr David Josek</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The decision by FIFA on Feb. 28, 2022, to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/feb/28/fifa-and-uefa-suspend-russian-clubs-and-teams-from-world-cup-and-all-competitions#:%7E:text=Fifa%20and%20Uefa%20have%20acted,after%20days%20of%20growing%20protest.">suspend Russia from international competition</a> – a move that could see the national team <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/fifa-set-suspend-russia-football-2022-world-cup-report-1683272">excluded from the 2022 FIFA World Cup</a> – breaks with a tradition of inaction by soccer’s world governing body over the ethical failings of member states. </p>
<p>Other than the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/dec/30/zimbabwe.politics">exclusion of South Africa and Rhodesia</a> during the apartheid era, examples of preventing national teams from competing are hard to come by. Nazi Germany <a href="https://www.history.com/news/world-cup-nazi-germany-forced-austrian-players-lost">took part in the 1938 World Cup</a>, as did France in the World Cups of the 1950s despite that country’s bloody wars against <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/02/13/france-algerian-war-legacy-politics-colonialism/">independence movements in Algeria</a> <a href="https://alphahistory.com/vietnamwar/first-indochina-war/">and Indochina</a>. </p>
<p>No sporting sanctions were placed on the Argentinian junta, which detained and executed its own population inside football stadiums that <a href="https://www.history.com/news/world-cup-soccer-argentina-1978-dirty-war">went on to host</a> the 1978 World Cup finals, and Nigeria was allowed to compete in the 1970 World Cup qualifiers despite its government <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51094093">waging a war against Biafrans</a>, which resulted in <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-long-shadow-of-biafra-lingers-over-nigeria/a-51988720">up to 2 million deaths</a> by starvation. </p>
<p>The list goes on. But the point is FIFA does not usually punish national teams for the actions of the country’s government. Even in the instances where authoritarian countries have been banned by FIFA, it hasn’t been because of the actions of the state. Myanmar was excluded from the 2006 World Cup not because of the country’s brutal military dictatorship, but for <a href="https://www2.irrawaddy.com/article.php?art_id=18780">failing to play a World Cup qualifying game against Iran</a> four years earlier. Syria was <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2011/8/19/syria-disqualified-from-2014-world-cup#:%7E:text=Fans%20of%20Syria%20will%20be,Cup%20for%20fielding%20ineligible%20player.&text=Syria%20have%20been%20disqualified%20from,qualifiers%2C%20FIFA%20said%20on%20Friday.">not allowed to qualify for the World Cup in 2014</a> for fielding an unqualified player rather than because of the atrocities committed by the government of Bashir Al-Assad.</p>
<h2>Exceptional circumstances</h2>
<p>FIFA’s rationale stems from a desire that sports should not be political. It is a fig leaf that generations of FIFA administrators have hidden behind.</p>
<p>But as a <a href="https://www.kines.umich.edu/directory/stefan-szymanski">scholar who has written extensively about sport and politics</a>, I believe it is absurd to claim that world soccer can be apolitical. International sport is organized around the concept of a nation state. Governments have been <a href="https://www.history.com/news/world-cup-soccer-argentina-1978-dirty-war">quick to celebrate any triumph</a> of their nation’s sporting teams as evidence of their own greatness – or even <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/apr/19/iraq.football">punish a team for a poor performance</a>. </p>
<p>So what is different in the case of Russia?</p>
<p>There are several reasons why the Ukraine invasion has served to break FIFA’s policy of viewing national teams apolitically. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/01/ukraine-russia-civilians-missiles-kyiv-tv-tower">brutality of the Russian aggression</a> is one, the self-evident innocence of Ukraine is another.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A soccer fan golds up a Ukrainian flag with a banner reading 'Now stadium ban for Schröder'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449626/original/file-20220302-27-rvvpt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449626/original/file-20220302-27-rvvpt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=327&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449626/original/file-20220302-27-rvvpt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=327&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449626/original/file-20220302-27-rvvpt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=327&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449626/original/file-20220302-27-rvvpt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449626/original/file-20220302-27-rvvpt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449626/original/file-20220302-27-rvvpt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The blue and yellow of Ukraine was featured as much as team colors during top-flight soccer games in Europe.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/march-2022-lower-saxony-hanover-soccer-dfb-cup-news-photo/1238876470?adppopup=true">Daniel Reinhardt/picture alliance via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It has led to an <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10557567/Touching-scenes-Wembley-Liverpool-fans-solidarity-Ukraine-Carabao-Cup-final.html">outpouring of sympathy shared among fans</a> <a href="https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/12552203/manchester-utd-and-watford-unite-in-call-for-peace">and players</a> across Europe. Aiding this is the fact that <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/03/01/ukrainian-players-call-on-football-to-resist-russian-invasion/">Ukrainian’s elite soccer players are scattered</a> across some of the most high-profile teams in Europe.</p>
<p>It should also be acknowledged that this sympathy in Europe appears to be related to what at best you can call cultural proximity. Palestinians, Yemenis, Afghans, Iraqis and Syrians must wonder what they have to do to make their sufferings as immediate as those of the Ukrainians. Indeed, persistent calls on FIFA to suspend Israel over its treatment of Palestinians have <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/fr/news/palestine-football-association-drop-fifa-ban-israel-413953349">fallen on deaf ears</a>. Similarly, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20200813-ozil-blasts-arsenal-failure-to-back-his-uighur-muslim-comments">soccer protests over China’s treatment of its Uyghur population</a> are unlikely to result in censure of the Chinese national team.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, sporting bodies, including FIFA, have become <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-fifa-protests/politics-and-protest-in-sport-have-fifas-rules-changed-idUSKBN2BI2FN">a little more welcoming of protest</a> by players of late. The willingness of at least some sporting authorities to condone players’ public protest of racial discrimination – taking a knee before the start of a game has become a common sight in Europe’s top soccer leagues – has paved the way for further acknowledgment of sport’s political dimension. </p>
<h2>The ‘Olympic Truce’</h2>
<p>Very few outside Russia will be doing anything other than applauding FIFA’s decision. However, I believe it’s time for FIFA and other sports leagues to develop long-term policies, rather than an ad hoc reaction under public pressure. </p>
<p>Sporting bodies can begin by considering the legal basis for the current decision, which looks <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/russia-might-challenge-the-world-cup-ban-in-court-to-defend-it-fifa-might-have-to-get-political-223816752.html">set to be challenged</a> by the Russian Football Union.</p>
<p>FIFA’s decision took its cue from the International Olympic Committee, which called on other sporting bodies to act after Russia was deemed to have <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-strongly-condemns-the-breach-of-the-olympic-truce">breached the “Olympic Truce</a>.”</p>
<p>This marks a recent revival of an <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-truce#:%7E:text=The%20tradition%20of%20the%20%E2%80%9COlympic,for%20all%20athletes%20and%20spectators">ancient Greek concept</a> in which city-states were required to halt any hostilities to allow athletes safe passage to compete during the games. City-states that did not honor the truce faced sanctions.</p>
<p>Since the 1990s, there have been several attempts to revive this tradition, and the U.K. succeeded in persuading all United Nations members to <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/un-general-assembly-approves-olympic-truce-for-london-games">sign an Olympic truce for the 2012 Games</a> in London. A similar truce was endorsed by the U.N. for the recent Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing and was <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-welcomes-solemn-appeal-by-united-nations-to-observe-olympic-truce-during-beijing-2022">due to expire on March 20, 2022</a>. It is for breaching this truce that Russia was sanctioned by the world’s sporting bodies.</p>
<p>Of course, FIFA would have faced the same pressure to act even if Putin had waited for the truce to expire before invading Ukraine. And it is worth noting that several large sporting nations – Australia, the U.S. and India among them – refused to sign up for the truce because of China’s alleged human rights abuses.</p>
<h2>A new set of ethical principles?</h2>
<p>If sports are to be organized around ethical principles rather than knee-jerk reactions to current events, I believe some kind of consensus about ethical standards and participation is required. </p>
<p>Such a consensus could include banning nations that invade sovereign nations, commit human rights abuses at home, or fail to ensure equality before the law – the last of which provided the ethical basis for banning South African teams over apartheid.</p>
<p>Strict enforcement under these terms would have required frequent exclusions in the past. As well as excluding Russia and China, a case could have been made to sanction the U.S. and U.K. for their <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/sep/16/iraq.iraq">actions in Iraq</a>; likewise Saudi Arabia for its <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2021/country-chapters/yemen">intervention in Yemen</a>, Turkey for its <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2021/country-chapters/turkey">treatment of Kurds</a> and Brazil for its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/29/brazil-indigenous-people-violates-rights">treatment of Indigenous populations</a>, to name but a few. </p>
<p>The reality is that FIFA administrators have always considered sports to be “realpolitikal,” which meant that no national team could be excluded for fear of diminishing the standing of the sporting competition itself.</p>
<p>As a result, bodies like FIFA and the IOC have largely embraced the good, the bad and the ugly. </p>
<p>With Russia’s suspension, sporting bodies may now find it more difficult to turn a blind eye to ethical concerns. The idea that international sport is apolitical has, I believe, finally been stripped of what little credibility it ever had. And if the notion that sports are necessarily political now gains wider acceptance, administrators will be forced to define exactly what they mean by “ethical.” </p>
<p>[<em>The Conversation’s Politics + Society editors pick need-to-know stories.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?nl=politics&source=inline-politics-need-to-know">Sign up for Politics Weekly</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178131/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stefan Szymanski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Soccer’s governing body has long sheltered behind a view that the game is apolitical. Sanctioning Russia over invasion exposes why that doesn’t hold.Stefan Szymanski, Professor of Sport Management, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1559542021-03-09T18:28:35Z2021-03-09T18:28:35ZHow the America’s Cup was transformed from a remote race to a spectator event on Auckland’s harbour<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388420/original/file-20210309-18-tbdbzy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4992%2C3323&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">GettyImages</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every good race needs an avid audience of dedicated fans to spur the competitors along and the 36th <a href="https://www.americascup.com/">America’s Cup</a>, which starts today, is no exception.</p>
<p>But current protocols are a far cry from the event’s rarefied and remote origins in Britain. For most of the cup’s history, the race was sailed on offshore courses away from the viewing public, under the auspices of elite yacht clubs.</p>
<p>Times have changed. Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton specifically <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/americas-cup/123185216/team-new-zealand-vow-to-move-heaven-and-earth-to-restore-lost-americas-cup-courses">sited the opportunity</a> of racing in the enclosed waters of Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour as a way to maximise the public’s ability to view the event from land.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UUfAGdxtTM4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">“This America’s Cup is for everyone,” says Team New Zealand’s Ray Davies.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This has been the way Aucklanders have watched regattas since the early colonial days when two of New Zealand’s favourite diversions, gambling and sailing, collided.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-should-release-new-zealands-strangled-rivers-to-lessen-the-impact-of-future-floods-153077">Why we should release New Zealand's strangled rivers to lessen the impact of future floods</a>
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<p>The Waitematā provides a series of perfect <a href="https://www.americascup.com/watch-on-land">outdoor arenas</a> for both local regattas and the courses set by the America’s Cup Race Committee.</p>
<p>And the new <a href="https://www.americascup.com/en/ac75">AC75 class</a> chosen for the current America’s Cup are purpose built — large foiling yachts that sail like rockets, adding scale, acceleration and vivid visual spectacle to the drama of match racing.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388191/original/file-20210308-16-1u4hd0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The two yacht at speed race across the harbour route." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388191/original/file-20210308-16-1u4hd0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388191/original/file-20210308-16-1u4hd0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388191/original/file-20210308-16-1u4hd0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388191/original/file-20210308-16-1u4hd0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388191/original/file-20210308-16-1u4hd0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388191/original/file-20210308-16-1u4hd0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388191/original/file-20210308-16-1u4hd0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Italy’s Luna Rossa (front, left) beating American Magic on Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour during the challenger series for the 36th America’s Cup.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Steve Todd</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A race offshore, out of sight</h2>
<p>Founded <a href="https://www.americascup.com/en/history">in Britain in 1851</a>, the America’s Cup quickly became dominated by the New York Yacht Club. The US held the cup for 128 years until it was <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/americas-cup-win">won by Australia in 1983</a>.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/nz-wins-americas-cup-first-time">win by New Zealand in 1995</a> firmly embedded Southern Hemisphere locations in the race circuit. And it was there that real public engagement began. Syndicate bases became visible or accessible, first in Fremantle in 1986 and then in San Diego in 1995.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388192/original/file-20210308-17-1vlnu4h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three yachts racing in the waters off San Diego, US." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388192/original/file-20210308-17-1vlnu4h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388192/original/file-20210308-17-1vlnu4h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388192/original/file-20210308-17-1vlnu4h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388192/original/file-20210308-17-1vlnu4h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388192/original/file-20210308-17-1vlnu4h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388192/original/file-20210308-17-1vlnu4h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388192/original/file-20210308-17-1vlnu4h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People got to see more of the racing in places such as San Diego, US.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/portofsandiego/6391275445/">Flickr/Port of San Diego</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>In Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour, the cup facilities were integrated into a new mixed-use urban extension of the city for the 2000 and 2003 challenges. But the racing was still well away from public view in the Hauraki Gulf.</p>
<p>Then-Team New Zealand boss Sir <a href="https://www.americascup.com/en/social-news/41_SIR-PETER-BLAKE">Peter Blake</a>’s vision for the 2000 America’s Cup was to have a venue where the syndicate bases were integrated into a vibrant waterfront neighbourhood.</p>
<p>Auckland was ripe for this kind of development. The result was the establishment of the city’s first waterfront precinct and the unlocking of urban coastal space from its 19th century industrial origins. </p>
<p>From London to Buenos Aires and beyond, industrialised waterfronts had undergone revitalisation for several decades. The America’s Cup helped Auckland join the trend.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388193/original/file-20210308-23-1rk0pgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Yachts and crowds in the Auckland harbour waterfront" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388193/original/file-20210308-23-1rk0pgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388193/original/file-20210308-23-1rk0pgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388193/original/file-20210308-23-1rk0pgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388193/original/file-20210308-23-1rk0pgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388193/original/file-20210308-23-1rk0pgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388193/original/file-20210308-23-1rk0pgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388193/original/file-20210308-23-1rk0pgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The Viaduct Harbour gave people a chance to get up close to the yachts from the America’s Cup.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chatani/3050137432/">Flickr/Yasuhiro Chatani</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>The construction of the Viaduct Harbour provided an opportunity for high-quality public space to evolve at the centre of Auckland. The new precinct and its flagship event added valuable waterfront real estate and boosted the city economy.</p>
<p>The development became a benchmark for future urban design initiatives in the city, such as the Wynyard Quarter and Tank Farm, with the former now housing the America’s Cup race village.</p>
<p>Valencia in Spain tried the same formula but struggled to maintain an accessible public space in the wake of international terrorism and aggressive security measures.</p>
<p>The idea behind all these developments was to engage a wider audience for these largely elitist events. The trouble was, the public in the cup village settings only witnessed the yachts leave and return to base — albeit in style and with fanfare.</p>
<p>Broadcasting races with computer graphic enhancements on outdoor and home screens significantly enhanced the global audience for sailing. But the racing itself was remote. </p>
<h2>An urban maritime arena</h2>
<p>The spectator environment changed for the San Francisco challenge in 2013 where the natural environment allowed race viewing within the land-captured waterways of the Bay Area.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388194/original/file-20210308-17-4myh26.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="People lined up on the water's edge with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388194/original/file-20210308-17-4myh26.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388194/original/file-20210308-17-4myh26.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388194/original/file-20210308-17-4myh26.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388194/original/file-20210308-17-4myh26.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388194/original/file-20210308-17-4myh26.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388194/original/file-20210308-17-4myh26.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388194/original/file-20210308-17-4myh26.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">San Fransisco’s bare area gave crowds an opportunity to watch the racing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/duluoz_cats/9697855842/in/photostream/">Flickr/duluoz cats</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This created the perfect observation platform and the experience was replicated on the Great Sound in Bermuda in 2017.</p>
<p>It was a logical move for the New Zealand organisers to configure the race courses to allow people to line the coastal promontories, or to watch from vessels anchored on the race-course boundaries as the new nautical flying machines cut up and down the harbour at astronomical speeds.</p>
<p>With a choice of inshore and offshore courses, it has also been possible to avoid public gatherings during COVID-19 lockdowns by opting for the more remote course. This happened in the latter stages of the <a href="https://www.americascup.com/en/prada-cup">Prada Cup</a> challenger series in February when Auckland was at alert level 2.</p>
<p>The spectacle works because of the large scale (26.5 metre masts) and airborne demeanour of these semi-flying machines, which reach speeds of more then 50 knots (90+kmh) as they foil around the course.</p>
<p>By comparison, the average sailing speed for a pleasure yacht is 6-12 knots (11-22kmh).</p>
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<p>
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Read more:
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<p>The AC75 yachts can be easily seen from an elevated vantage point, against a backdrop of wind-ruffled water, as they tack and gybe up and down a course. </p>
<h2>On the waterfront</h2>
<p>The America’s Cup challenges have been key to Auckland reclaiming its waterfront for public use and exploiting its natural coastal setting for spectator advantage.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388197/original/file-20210308-14-1yypvu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="People taking photos at America's Cup sign on Auckland's waterfront." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388197/original/file-20210308-14-1yypvu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388197/original/file-20210308-14-1yypvu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388197/original/file-20210308-14-1yypvu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388197/original/file-20210308-14-1yypvu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388197/original/file-20210308-14-1yypvu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388197/original/file-20210308-14-1yypvu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/388197/original/file-20210308-14-1yypvu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Auckland’s harbour setting helps pulls in the crowds to watch the America’s Cup.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Emagnetic</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>An urban harbour arena such as the Waitematā is the perfect venue, as it maximises sport, spectacle, super-scaled and super-funded vessels, land enclosure, security, public participation and controversy.</p>
<p>The race village has become the onshore site for entertainment and celebration. It is a formula future organisers would do well to emulate if they can capitalise on the right urban infrastructure and captivating landscapes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155954/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Diane Brand 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>The America’s Cup challenges have been key to Auckland reclaiming its waterfront to give the public a chance to see more of the racing.Diane Brand, Dean of Creative Arts & Industry, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1544522021-02-04T19:55:38Z2021-02-04T19:55:38ZWhy the risk of attending the Super Bowl in Tampa during the pandemic might be too great<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382565/original/file-20210204-18-alopc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=125%2C179%2C5811%2C3772&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tampa, Fla., is hosting Sunday's Super Bowl football game, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Tens of millions of fans will tune into the 55th Super Bowl on Feb. 7 to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite the ongoing pandemic, 22,000 of those fans will be screaming and cheering from the stands in Tampa, Fla. </p>
<p>The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Florida peaked in early January, and have been in decline since. Still, the state is reporting about <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/florida-coronavirus-cases.html">46 cases and 0.79 deaths per 100,000 residents in the last seven days</a>. A <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article248944074.html">more infectious strain of COVID-19</a>, known as B.1.1.7, is on the rise in the state.</p>
<p>In all, 27,018 people have died from the coronavirus in Florida. Only <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/">Texas, California and New York have seen a greater number of deaths</a>. </p>
<p>Our ongoing research, centred on the ethical dilemmas faced by fans, athletes and organizations around the return to live sports during an ongoing pandemic, gives insight into the constructs that influence individuals when making ethical decisions. Public health officials and politicians have access to the same data on COVID-19 cases, deaths and transmission, so why do they arrive at different decisions? </p>
<h2>A pandemic Super Bowl</h2>
<p>The rules governing fan participation at major sporting events have varied during the pandemic. Lately, the decision has been left to <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/senators-melnyk-submits-robust-public-safety-plan-hopes-hosting-fans/">local health authorities</a>. Some states <a href="https://www.espn.com/nhl/insider/story/_/id/30737247/nhl-teams-wrestling-covid-19-fan-attendance-policies">allow fans but others don’t</a>. When California banned attendance at sporting events, <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/ncaa-football/news/rose-bowl-texas-location-tickets-cfp-semifinal/blf5sg5f5rlm1n1odx2g5b3qz">the Rose Bowl was moved to Arlington, Texas</a>.</p>
<p>The 55th Super Bowl will be a scaled-down version of past events. The National Football League has given tickets to 7,500 vaccinated health-care workers, and the rest will go to fans and the media, many of them travelling to Florida from all over the U.S. They will have to wear face masks, but none of them will need to show they have been vaccinated or be tested before entering the stadium.</p>
<p>We recognize that society is currently operating in a grey zone, where the social conventions and rules of behaviour during COVID-19 are still being established. Often, once codes of conduct are established, <a href="https://philpapers.org/rec/JOSMAI">laws soon follow</a>. Yet, in the interim, sports fans are largely left to decide for themselves on whether going to a game is safe. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man standing next to a trophy in a glass case, while a women takes a photo of him with her phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382568/original/file-20210204-16-1nx3r5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382568/original/file-20210204-16-1nx3r5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382568/original/file-20210204-16-1nx3r5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382568/original/file-20210204-16-1nx3r5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382568/original/file-20210204-16-1nx3r5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382568/original/file-20210204-16-1nx3r5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382568/original/file-20210204-16-1nx3r5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fans have their photo taken with the Vince Lombardi Trophy ahead of the 53rd Super Bowl game in Atlanta, Jan. 30, 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/David Goldman)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So, why would Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis allow 22,000 fans to attend the game? As a mega sport event, the Super Bowl is more than just the game, it is <a href="https://www.wfla.com/sports/the-big-game/super-bowl-week-day-by-day-guide-to-events-in-tampa-bay/">a week-long event</a> with live music, sponsor parties, events with NFL legends and the opportunity to take your picture with the Vince Lombardi Trophy.</p>
<h2>Why allow fans?</h2>
<p>Research from the early stage of the pandemic suggests <a href="https://voxeu.org/article/political-beliefs-and-compliance-social-distancing-orders">there is a partisan divide when it comes to enforcing and following physical distancing orders</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-00977-7">Republicans are less likely to impose and follow social distancing orders</a> in support of personal freedoms. </p>
<p>DeSantis, a Republican governor, has said he won’t shut down Florida to stop the spread of the coronavirus, that <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/12/21/we-must-require-more-transparency-desantis/6496577002/">people should have freedom and practise personal responsibility, and that it’s not the government’s responsibility to impose social distancing orders</a>. Florida has also <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/01/26/florida-pushing-to-host-2021-olympics-instead-of-tokyo/">bid to host the postponed 2020</a> Olympic Games should Japan decide to cancel them.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tokyo-olympics-an-ethical-approach-will-determine-whether-athletes-should-get-vaccinated-ahead-of-the-public-153046">Tokyo Olympics: An ethical approach will determine whether athletes should get vaccinated ahead of the public</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There’s also the health-care perspective. The discourse around “flattening the curve” has widely been based on the number of beds available in hospitals. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2020/07/21/coronavirus-updates-what-you-need-to-know-tuesday-july-21/41776449/">COVID-19 cases surged this past summer in Florida</a> and ICU beds filled up, DeSantis continued to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/desantis-defends-florida-hospital-icu-capacity">defend the state’s hospital capacity</a>. In early February, hospital beds in the Tampa Bay area were at <a href="https://bi.ahca.myflorida.com/t/ABICC/views/Public/ICUBedsCounty?%3AshowAppBanner=false&%3Adisplay_count=n&%3AshowVizHome=n&%3Aorigin=viz_share_link&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y&%3Aembed=y.">84 per cent capacity</a>. </p>
<p>Even if a region’s hospitals have space for patients, is it ethical to knowingly put more people at risk? Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, implemented an <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/jacinda-ardern-flattening-curve-wasn-t-enough-for-new-zealand-1.5233152">aggressive strategy to eliminate COVID-19 because her government realized that the health system didn’t have the capacity for a large outbreak</a>. Only <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">25 people have died in New Zealand from COVID-19</a>. </p>
<p>The sporting event industry has been hit hard by COVID-19. The NFL has projected <a href="https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/nfl-team-losses-covid-19-2020-21-season-super-bowl-lv-cbs-tv-adverts-sales">US$3 billion to US$4 billion in lost revenues</a>. Local economies can benefit greatly from hosting large events like the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>Florida and Tampa may be especially eager to have fans attend since the Buccaneers are <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/pro/2021/01/24/super-bowl-lv-tampa-bay-buccaneers-make-history-first-home-team/4227883001/">the first team in 50 years to play a Super Bowl at home</a>. Past research suggests that the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00641.x">hometown fan advantage can enhance performance</a>. </p>
<h2>But is it safe?</h2>
<p>Before attending a sporting event, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/attending-sports.html">the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends</a> fans know the number of COVID-19 cases where they live and where the event is taking place. They should also pay attention to the “transmission rate (Rt),” the average number of cases caused by one infected individual. The higher the value, the faster the spread, but when the value is less than one, the spread of the disease is slowing down.</p>
<p>As of late January, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1119412/covid-19-transmission-rate-us-by-state/">the transition rate for Florida was 0.97</a>, which means that each person infected with the disease would spread it to just under one other person. For comparison, <a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/epi/covid-19-weekly-epi-summary-report.pdf?la=en">Ontario’s Rt value is 0.84</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-new-covid-19-variants-are-on-the-rise-and-spreading-around-the-world-153530">Why new COVID-19 variants are on the rise and spreading around the world</a>
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<p><a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/attendance">The Tampa Bay Buccaneers averaged 14,483 fans per game</a> this season, the third-highest in the NFL. For the Super Bowl, they will have to deal with a 50 per cent increase in attendance. And fans appear eager to attend: <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/with-a-pandemiclimited-crowd-and-heavy-sales-in-florida-super-bowl-tickets-are-making-a-run-toward-record-heights-032023245.html">ticket prices for the available seats are skyrocketing</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People standing close together, most wearing masks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382572/original/file-20210204-16-1tslqed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382572/original/file-20210204-16-1tslqed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382572/original/file-20210204-16-1tslqed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382572/original/file-20210204-16-1tslqed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382572/original/file-20210204-16-1tslqed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382572/original/file-20210204-16-1tslqed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382572/original/file-20210204-16-1tslqed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fans watch warmups before the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Alabama, in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 1. 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The CDC states that what matters most for COVID-19 transmission is how the stadium seating is set up. Groups from different households should remain at least two metres apart from each other. </p>
<p>Assuming everyone arrives as a two-person household, each group would require six seats, or 66,000 seats total, exactly the capacity of the Tampa stadium. Fans, however, will be on the move, both upon entry, exit and at various times throughout the game. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/28/us/tampa-mayor-super-bowl-masks-trnd/index.html">People must wear masks at Super Bowl events</a> or risk being fined up to US$500. </p>
<p>Still, recent <a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/poll-40-of-americans-ready-to-attend-an-outdoor-sports-event-after-covid-19-vaccine-112824804.html?guccounter=2">polls show that only 40 per cent of U.S. adults would attend an outdoor sporting event even after getting vaccinated</a>. For many, attending a sporting event remains too risky.</p>
<p>Businesses, government officials and public health experts may have access to the same information but many have reached different conclusions. Ticket prices aside, given the chance to attend this year’s Super Bowl, would you do it?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154452/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ann Pegoraro receives funding from Sport Canada. She is a co-director of E-Alliance, Canada's new Gender Equity in Sport Research Hub</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lianne Foti is an assistant director of the International Institute for Sport Business and Leadership at the University of Guelph.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathleen Rodenburg 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>Public health officials and politicians have access to the same data on COVID-19 cases, deaths and transmission, but might arrive at different conclusions.Kathleen Rodenburg, Assistant Professor, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, University of GuelphAnn Pegoraro, Lang Chair in Sport Management, Lang School of Business and Economics, University of GuelphLianne Foti, Assistant Professor, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1512072020-12-10T14:28:24Z2020-12-10T14:28:24ZThe year sports got canned: lessons from the Two Oceans Marathon in South Africa<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372522/original/file-20201202-21-aiaqgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ashraf Hendricks/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The global impact of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/africa/covid-19">COVID-19</a> pandemic has been particularly apparent in sports events. In an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, the world has witnessed the cancellation, postponement or rescheduling of major events: <a href="https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2020-04-01/cancellation_of_the_championships_2020.html">Wimbledon</a> tennis, <a href="https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/news/025b-0ef35fa07210-adb80b5eb2e7-1000--uefa-postpones-euro-2020/">Euro 2020</a> football, the <a href="https://www.letour.fr/en/news/2020/tour-de-france-2020-29th-august-29th-to-20th-september/1283443">Tour De France</a> cycling and the 2020 Tokyo <a href="https://tokyo2020.org/en/news/joint-statement-from-international-olympic-committee-and-tokyo2020">Olympic Games</a> to mention a few.</p>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2020.1805900">study</a> I conducted with David Maralack of the University of Cape Town, we looked at the 2020 cancellation of the popular <a href="https://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za">Two Oceans Marathon</a> in Cape Town, on the south-western coast of South Africa. We wanted to see what lessons about risk and reputational management could be learned from this and the consequent impacts on its many stakeholders.</p>
<p>With a focus on sports management, we interviewed the race director, previous board members and other stakeholders, including members of regional and provincial athletics bodies and provincial government. </p>
<p>The cancellation was managed well under the circumstances, but it also highlighted some areas that could be improved on. It became clear that events that communicate effectively with their community of participants and audiences stand the best chance of weathering a storm.</p>
<h2>The marathon</h2>
<p>Marathon running is very popular in South Africa and people from all walks of life participate in the many <a href="https://worldsmarathons.com/s/running/africa/south_africa">races</a> on offer. An ultramarathon is longer than a traditional 42km marathon. In the case of the Two Oceans, it is 56km. It’s considered one of the most scenic ultramarathons in the world, taking in Table Mountain and the Indian and Atlantic oceans.</p>
<p>What started out in 1970 as a training run for the country’s other premier ultramarathon, the 90km <a href="https://www.comrades.com">Comrades Marathon</a>, the Two Oceans is now a festival Easter weekend of races. In 2019, the event turned 50 and hosted 34,000 participants, from ultra-marathon to family fun run.</p>
<p>The value of the event to the Cape Town and Western Cape economy is estimated at <a href="https://www.westerncape.gov.za/events/sites/events.westerncape.gov.za/files/attachments/Conference%202016_11%20-%20Event%20Impact%20Assessment%20Study_Current%20progress_Kamilla%20Swart.pdf">R672 million</a>. Before the races, a running <a href="https://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/events/expo/">expo</a> at the Cape Town International Convention Centre receives more than 55,000 visitors over three days. The race costs R30 million to stage and attracts significant media coverage. </p>
<p>However, the 51st Two Oceans, to be held from 8-11 April 2020 was the first marathon to be cancelled in South Africa due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 worldwide. It was also one of the first marathons to be impacted on the global marathon stage.</p>
<h2>The cancellation</h2>
<p>The decision to cancel an event is not an easy one. This was also not a popular one as it was made by the marathon’s board just three weeks before the event was to start. Significant funding was already spent as the bulk of the planning, logistics and preparation were complete.</p>
<p>The board had to weigh up costs and economic benefits versus massive health-related risks. Also at stake was the event’s reputation, concerns about its sustainability, as well as the athletes not getting refunded.</p>
<p>With 3,000 international participants expected and half the participants coming from outside Cape Town, a key concern was the negative economic impact from the loss of these sports tourists.</p>
<p>Friends and relatives who come to support the runners <a href="https://www.westerncape.gov.za/events/sites/events.westerncape.gov.za/files/attachments/Conference%202016_11%20-%20Event%20Impact%20Assessment%20Study_Current%20progress_Kamilla%20Swart.pdf">spend</a>
between three and six days in the region – and some up to three weeks in the country. A sport tourism event like this is a key economic driver that also serves to market Cape Town as a destination. </p>
<h2>Many stakeholders</h2>
<p>Data was analysed for key themes emerging from our interviews. There were many lessons to be learned. The decision to cancel was complex, given all the stakeholders involved.</p>
<p>Organisers monitored global advisories and engaged with other events in a similar situation. They consulted with government departments, approvals agencies, health institutions and universities. Particularly important stakeholders included the race medical team, the city’s events office and the provincial authorities. Sponsors and event partners were consulted ahead of the decision to cancel.</p>
<p>The medical team strongly advised that the marathon couldn’t guarantee the safety of participants. The University of Cape Town, hosting the race finish village, advised they would be closed and not accessible for the event. The university provides professional services as the official race medical team and had a critical voice in responding to the crisis.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372524/original/file-20201202-22-eq9542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A gleeful woman in running vest and shorts beams as she holds her fists up in victory, a race assistant standing by with a white towel at the finish line." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372524/original/file-20201202-22-eq9542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372524/original/file-20201202-22-eq9542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372524/original/file-20201202-22-eq9542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372524/original/file-20201202-22-eq9542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372524/original/file-20201202-22-eq9542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372524/original/file-20201202-22-eq9542.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372524/original/file-20201202-22-eq9542.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"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">South Africa’s Gerda Steyn wins the 2019 Two Oceans.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">RODGER BOSCH/AFP via Getty Images</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://wpa.org.za">Western Province Athletics</a> also played an important role through the national athletics body, <a href="https://athletics.org.za">Athletics South Africa</a>, liaising with the sports ministry. The sports minister formed part of a national COVID-19 command council. And consideration had to be given to the tourism and investment agencies, sponsors and service providers who had much to lose. These inputs were vital for the board to make the dreaded decision to cancel.</p>
<p>Even before South Africa <a href="https://www.gov.za/documents/disaster-management-act-declaration-national-state-disaster-covid-19-coronavirus-16-mar">declared</a> a COVID-19-related state of disaster, Two Oceans felt the risk of continuing far outweighed the benefits. The race was <a href="https://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/2020-two-oceans-marathon-cancelled-amid-covid-19-pandemic/">cancelled</a> on 15 March, 12 days after the first case was detected in South Africa.</p>
<p>From an organisational perspective, the cancellation underscores the significance of brand reputation and that the event is only as good as it is because of the support of stakeholders such as runners, clubs, sponsors, suppliers and approvals agencies. </p>
<h2>Lessons learned</h2>
<p>Management of the cancellation was largely successful in its main aims of protecting people’s health, honouring legal obligations and protecting the brand. Although the final decision was accepted, the organisation recognised that its decision-making and communication needs to be more responsive and agile. </p>
<p>The cancellation drew significant levels of criticism on social media platforms, with runners demanding refunds or that entry fees be deferred. This was not possible as funding had been contractually committed to suppliers. Stakeholders underscored the importance of the marathon being more runner-centric in its communication.</p>
<p>One of the most significant organisational impacts was recognising that the race was not sufficiently safeguarded against disasters, beyond financial considerations only. These would include general advisories on travel and health that could supplement security and race operations. </p>
<p>Due to global health and safety concerns, cancelling was inevitable and the outcomes the best that could have been reached under the circumstances. However, race managers and stakeholders deliberated on what could’ve been done differently.</p>
<h2>Looking ahead</h2>
<p>Of particular importance is consideration of its primary stakeholder, the runner, and strategic partnership with provincial government and sponsors. Refunds were not possible, but a more reflexive and flexible budgetary process may be necessary to limit negative impacts.</p>
<p>The pandemic has also confronted organisers to consider alternatives, such as virtual races – and consequently to review their traditional approaches to marketing and sponsorships. Consideration of the digital space beyond COVID-19 opens huge possibilities for brands to engage with 35,000 runners over the course of a year instead of just race weekend.</p>
<p>Enhanced health protocols accompanied by effective communication plans will be required from stakeholders. It is also critical that the event works closely with the governing body to enhance information flow and decision-making.</p>
<p>The timeframe for planning the 2021 event is already counting down. In this post-COVID-19 period of uncertainty, various contingencies and permutations need to be considered – driven by a consultative process where all stakeholders have mutual responsibility to ensure the event’s sustainability.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151207/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kamilla Swart is affiliated with the Division of Engineering Management and Decision Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar and the School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
</span></em></p>The event, worth R672 million to the country’s Western Cape economy, was one of the first to be impacted by COVID-19 on the global marathon stage.Kamilla Swart, Associate professor, Hamad Bin Khalifa UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/922692018-02-22T23:52:33Z2018-02-22T23:52:33ZAs the Pyeongchang Olympics comes to a close, what legacy will it leave?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/207434/original/file-20180222-65236-1abdbw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The main objective for most sporting event organising committees is to deliver an efficient and safe event.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Dan Himbrechts</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When major sporting events like the Olympics come to a close, the focus often shifts to the question: “so what?” For all the costs, the planning, and the efforts of athletes, officials, volunteers and staff, what will be the legacy? What will remain?</p>
<p>In his keynote address to the <a href="https://www.pyeongchang2018.uni-mainz.de/symposium-information-2/program/">International Sport Business Symposium</a> held in Pyeongchang to coincide with this year’s Winter Olympics, veteran sports official Dick Pound said of legacy:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>No-one promoting an Olympic bid would dream about not including the word in virtually every public statement made in support of the bid. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yet, as he further noted, there is little research supporting legacy. Much of it is anecdotal, rather than empirical, which may have resulted in “decisions that are not based on reliable data”.</p>
<h2>The importance of ‘legacy’</h2>
<p>The increasing importance of legacy for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is reflected in the launch in December 2017 of a document, <a href="https://www.olympic.org/%7E/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/Documents/Olympic-Legacy/IOC_Legacy_Strategy_Full_version.pdf?la=en">Legacy Strategic Approach: Moving Forward</a>. </p>
<p>The key elements of this document may be new for the IOC. But for those versed in managing mega sporting events, what it suggests <a href="https://hbr.org/2007/01/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail">isn’t new</a>: have a vision, plan for it, put the structures and finance in place, evaluate, learn, and celebrate.</p>
<p>But why did the IOC feel the need to put this on the public record now, when they note that in the document that legacy has been in Olympic discourse since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics? </p>
<p>Maybe the drop-off in countries bidding to host the Olympics is part of it. Maybe, too, the rise of BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) as hosts of mega sporting events highlights the need for a demonstrated return on investment – not just more hype.</p>
<p>The main objective for most sporting event organising committees is to deliver an efficient and safe event. But is this the most important objective? For those outside the “fence” like the general public, the question becomes: what did we get for our multi-billion-dollar investment? </p>
<p>In some ways, the offer of legacy beyond the event helps organisers achieve a social licence to operate: that is, they obtain support to go ahead with the project. Policymakers and politicians need to clearly demonstrate that hosting sporting events is a better investment than spending in other public goods like education and health.</p>
<h2>What for Pyeongchang?</h2>
<p>The Pyeongchang Olympics’ <a href="https://issuu.com/thatsnotmypuppy/docs/pyeongchang2018volume1">proposed legacies</a> include purpose-built venues, sports legacies, and promoting the Olympic movement.</p>
<p>But, in contrast to many previous host cities, Pyeongchang did not offer a volunteer legacy. Rather, it aimed to draw upon the legacy of hosting a series, or portfolio, of previous events like the athletics World Championships in Daegu in 2011, the Asian Games in Incheon in 2014, and the World University Games in Gwangju in 2015.</p>
<p>Hosting the Olympics may have accelerated the delivery of some of these legacies, such as roads and railways. It may have also initiated others, like new venues.</p>
<p>The budget for Pyeongchang is in the vicinity of <a href="https://library.olympic.org/Default/doc/SYRACUSE/172488/questions-answers-regarding-volunteer-programmes-pyeongchang-2018-the-pyeongchang-organising-committ">US$13 billion</a>, up 50% from initial estimates. Before gasping at the amount of money involved, it is worth noting that the bulk of these costs are allocated to capital investments, such as new stadiums and infrastructure.</p>
<p>This includes the cost of building a 35,000-seat temporary stadium that will be used just four times: for the opening and closing ceremonies for both the Olympics and Paralympics. </p>
<p>It might seem strange to pull it down, but Pyeongchang is a poor rural community with a population of just 45,000. There is no obvious need for it to have such a stadium. And new stadiums are not cost-neutral: it has been suggested that a stadium’s maintenance costs alone could be in the vicinity <a href="http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/681591.html">of $20 million per year</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/207466/original/file-20180222-152372-1edbvnd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/207466/original/file-20180222-152372-1edbvnd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207466/original/file-20180222-152372-1edbvnd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207466/original/file-20180222-152372-1edbvnd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207466/original/file-20180222-152372-1edbvnd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207466/original/file-20180222-152372-1edbvnd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207466/original/file-20180222-152372-1edbvnd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A temporary stadium used for the Olympic ceremonies in Pyeongchang will be pulled down after the Games.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tracey Dickson</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Future Olympics will be required to report on their legacies for up to five years after the event under the IOC’s new framework. This will include analysis of relevant data and the production of case studies to highlight how they achieved their positive legacies, so future organising committees may learn from them. </p>
<p>This will hopefully result in better planning for and delivery of not just a great event, but a legacy for host communities that is economically, socially and environmentally positive and sustainable.</p>
<p>Mega sport events can deliver legacies, but most examples to date have been about infrastructure. An era could soon be upon us when they can deliver on the other legacies like sport participation, volunteer legacies, tourism, and sustainability.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/92269/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracey J Dickson 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>Future Olympics will be required to report on their legacies for up to five years after the event under the IOC’s new framework.Tracey J Dickson, Associate Professor, Centre for Tourism Research, Faculty of Business, Government and Law, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/876742017-11-27T19:10:04Z2017-11-27T19:10:04ZThe new ticketing technology that may make scalping a thing of the past<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196025/original/file-20171123-6055-krfn42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Blair Hughes </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-laws-crack-down-on-ticket-scalping-and-price-gouging-at-major-events-20171115-gzmd1p.html">new anti-scalping laws</a> are introduced in Victoria, our <a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/why_the_empty_seats_study_to_investigate_fan_experiences_in_stadiums">research</a> suggests that frustrations with current ticketing systems may be a contributing factor to the continued success of scalpers. But new technologies are on the horizon that will help.</p>
<p>Scalping is the practice of buying event tickets and then on-selling them at a higher price. Our <a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/why_the_empty_seats_study_to_investigate_fan_experiences_in_stadiums">research</a> found that one in five fans surveyed had at some time purchased tickets from scalpers globally, with males more likely to engage in this behaviour. </p>
<p>We surveyed fans from Australia, New Zealand, North America, and the UK, 19% of whom admitted to purchasing tickets from scalpers. In addition, almost 30% had used third-party reseller websites, such as <a href="https://www.viagogo.com/au">Viagogo</a>. </p>
<p>These figures can be partly explained by frustrations among fans with the current ticketing systems – as well as the increased sophistication of scalpers.</p>
<h2>Online ticket sales impact on scalping</h2>
<p>In past decades, ticket scalpers were a common presence around venues, selling tickets on the day of the event to anyone who turned up without one. Yet the development of online technologies has transformed the secondary ticketing market into a multi-billion-dollar industry.</p>
<p>Increasingly, sophisticated computer programs (robots or “bots”) can make multiple, repeated requests from ticketing company websites in seconds – at the expense of the average fan.</p>
<p>Third-party ticket resellers may then <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-30/viagogo-consumer-advocates-call-on-google-to-crack-down-reseller/8853308">charge</a> as much as a A$37.50 booking fee and a A$4.95 handling fee on top of an inflated or <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/everyday-shopping/tickets/articles/ticket-resale-websites-permitting-illegal-scalping">inaccurate ticket price</a>. </p>
<h2>Protecting the fans</h2>
<p>In Victoria, amendments to the Major Events Act will see fines of up to A$475,000 for anyone <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/vic-ticket-scalping/9159032">selling tickets</a> “at a price greater than 10% above the original sale price of the ticket”. </p>
<p>In Queensland, it is <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/law/your-rights/consumer-rights-complaints-and-scams/buying-products-and-services/buying-services/ticketed-events">illegal</a> to resell or buy tickets at more than 10% above the original ticket price, while in New South Wales it will <a href="http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/About_us/News_and_events/Whats_new/New+laws+to+target+ticket+scalping.page?">soon</a> be an offence to resell tickets at more than 10% of the original sale price.</p>
<p>Significantly, the <a href="http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/About_us/News_and_events/Whats_new/New+laws+to+target+ticket+scalping.page?">updated NSW legislation</a> will also outlaw the software that has enabled bots. </p>
<p>It remains to be seen how effective these new measures will be. </p>
<p>Established anti-scalping laws in the US have had <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227425421_Examining_the_effectiveness_of_anti-scalping_laws_in_a_United_States_market">little impact on the secondary ticket market</a>. Scalpers adapt their methods and find ways to feign compliance with legislation. More importantly, some fans will go to any lengths to watch their team play. </p>
<h2>How satisfied are fans?</h2>
<p>From our survey results below, fans appear to be satisfied with the ticket purchasing experience, although males are more likely to be satisfied than females. </p>
<p>Many cited the ease of purchasing tickets online and the ability to select a specific seat as important factors. Being able to buy tickets at the first attempt is generally linked to greater satisfaction with the purchase experience. </p>
<p>There were some significant differences in satisfaction depending on how tickets were purchased. Although fans suggest that they enjoyed being able to purchase tickets online, they were more satisfied when they bought tickets from a box office or at the venue.</p>
<p><iframe id="MYlJc" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MYlJc/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>For anyone who has recently purchased a ticket to a major event, the areas of dissatisfaction may be unsurprising. Respondents cited factors including booking fees being added to the cost of the ticket (also known as <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/online-shopping/drip-pricing">drip pricing</a>), having to pay printing costs, inflexibility of seating options, and poorly functioning websites among their key complaints.</p>
<p>As noted above, complaints about ticketing websites were common. Fans cited “congested websites”, “servers [that] can’t handle the volume”, and “getting beaten for tickets by bots” as reasons why they could not buy tickets. If legislation alone can’t stop scalpers, new approaches to ticketing may be required. </p>
<h2>Beating the bots</h2>
<p>Internationally, there have been some interesting developments amongst teams, venues and ticketing companies that may eliminate scalping and improve the ticketing experience. </p>
<p>It may not be long before all fans can take advantage of innovations such as mobile-only tickets, biometric access, and even microchipped tickets.</p>
<p>The Miami Heat became the first NBA team to <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20306283/miami-heat-become-first-nba-team-mobile-only-entry">ditch paper tickets</a>, switching to “mobile-only” ticketing. It cited the convenience and simplicity of managing tickets as well as providing fans with guaranteed ticket authenticity as reasons for this change. </p>
<p>Also in the US, there are now seven Major League Baseball stadiums that offer a biometric fingerprint scanning program which enables “frictionless access” to the venue, creating a faster and more exclusive fan experience.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N2EaE4ylM4Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Accessing stadiums with fingerprint scanner technolog.y.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195816/original/file-20171122-6055-doeiw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/195816/original/file-20171122-6055-doeiw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195816/original/file-20171122-6055-doeiw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195816/original/file-20171122-6055-doeiw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195816/original/file-20171122-6055-doeiw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195816/original/file-20171122-6055-doeiw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/195816/original/file-20171122-6055-doeiw7.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">Biochip implant.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Daily Mail Australia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Argentine football club Tigre went further in 2016 and launched a new ticketing scheme that allowed fans to be <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-27/argentine-club-tigre-launches-microchip-for-fans/7361506">microchipped with their season pass</a>. These implantable ticketing microchips proved to be popular among diehard fans.</p>
<p>Some ticketing companies are also investing in technology aimed at combating scalping. Ticketmaster US has created a “<a href="http://help.ticketmaster.com/verified-fan/">Verified Fan</a>” program that allows fans to be verified before the tickets come on sale to speed up the process.</p>
<h2>Start-ups moving in</h2>
<p>Several start-ups are looking to challenge existing ticketing process and stop touting. Companies to look for include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.citizenticket.co.uk/">Citizen Ticket</a>: billing itself as an “ethical service”, this company ensures that all transactions are recorded publicly and permanently. Its ticket delivery system, called <a href="https://www.citizenticket.co.uk/bitticket/">BitTicket</a>, allows the lifecycle of a ticket to be tracked, eradicating touts, fraud, and unregulated resale.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.shieldsquare.com/">ShieldSquare</a>: dubbed the “bot police”, this company is one of the pioneers in bot mitigation, blocking ticket bots and encourage genuine ticket buyers.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://tech.ticketmaster.com/2017/07/12/ticketmaster-presence-when-tickets-go-digital-event-going-gets-better/">Ticketmaster Presence</a>: paper tickets are replaced with digital passes using proximity-based technology to enable a “tap and go” venue entry system. Smart devices, such as a phone or a watch, are used to enter the venue. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196015/original/file-20171123-6013-1cg6jrh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ticketmaster Presence ‘Tap and Go’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">https://tech.ticketmaster.com/2017/07/12/ticketmaster-presence-when-tickets-go-digital-event-going-gets-better/</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The future of ticketing is paperless</h2>
<p>Looking to the future, it may not be long until tickets are physically linked to individuals and our iconic sporting venues are accessed with the swipe of an appendage. </p>
<p>In such a world, paper tickets will become a thing of the past. </p>
<p>One cannot feel that something is lost without the physical memento of a sporting event provided by a ticket stub. The scalpers and bots have much to answer for.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87674/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aila Khan received funding from Magnetite, an organisation specialising in retro-fit double glazed windows. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Blair Hughes and Keith Parry do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A raft of tough new anti-scalping laws have just been introduce in Victoria, But are problems with existing ticketing systems driving fans into the hands of scalpers – and can technology help?Keith Parry, Senior Lecturer, Western Sydney UniversityAila Khan, Lecturer in Marketing, Western Sydney UniversityBlair Hughes, PhD Candidate, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/793752017-08-29T14:09:55Z2017-08-29T14:09:55ZFrom diarrhoea to heart damage, ultra endurance sports put a huge strain on the body<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183736/original/file-20170829-10427-zf31wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Transomania which is a foot race from the Arabian Sea to the Indian Ocean is one of the most extreme marathons.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>From <a href="http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/">The Race Across America</a>, a 3,000-mile 12-day cycle demanding more than 20 hours per day in the saddle, to the <a href="http://iditarodtrailinvitational.com/">Iditarod Trail Invitational</a>,
where participants run, bike, sled, or ski their way across 1,000 miles of Alaskan snow, ultra endurance sporting events are becoming increasingly popular. </p>
<p>Since I ran my first ultra marathon in 2010, the sport has taken me on many weird and wonderful adventures around the world. This includes taking part in the renowned <a href="http://marathondessables.co.uk/">Marathon Des Sables</a> – a 150-mile footrace through the Sahara Desert carrying all food and supplies on my back.</p>
<p>Both as an athletic competition and a personal accomplishment, ultra endurance events truly test the limits of physical and mental endurance. However, <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/46/Suppl_1/i29">research</a> suggests that long-term participation might cause adaptations in the body that are more commonly linked to cardiovascular disease. These include structural and functional changes in the heart and blood vessels, as well as electrical changes in the cardiac nerves and possible damage to the heart tissue.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640414.2015.1012104?src=recsys">About 90%</a> of people who undertake ultra marathons also suffer symptoms of gastrointestinal distress, including cramping and diarrhoea. And for some participants, despite their training and supreme fitness, these nasty side effects can result in them not completing the event. </p>
<p>But although there’s a great deal of emerging research in these areas, there is still a lot we don’t know about how the body responds to extreme endurance exercise – and specifically to challenges that last several days or weeks. </p>
<h2>The 100 peaks challenge</h2>
<p>As a physiologist, I’ve always been fascinated by the body’s responses to physical stress. But actually getting hold of robust data on ultra endurance exercise is difficult because of the low numbers of people willing to endure events in remote locations and extreme environments. </p>
<p>So when I encountered a team of athletes preparing for a unique ultra endurance event in the UK – <a href="https://the100peaks.com/">The 100 Peak Challenge</a> – I jumped at the chance to be involved. The event was modelled on the <a href="https://www.threepeakschallenge.uk">Three Peaks Challenge</a>, a footrace to ascend and descend the three highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales – the three peaks was then taken to the extreme to become <a href="https://the100peaks.com/">100 peaks</a>. This was to be contested over 25 consecutive days, with the added difficulty of cycling on pushbikes between the five base-camps in England, Scotland and Wales. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BSvQaXGBnD4/?taken-by=the100peaks","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>With a total distance of 840 miles and a cumulative elevation of 34,000m – which is equivalent to four ascents of Mount Everest – there are no competitive statistics on the challenge because it’s never been attempted. As the English explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, <a href="https://the100peaks.com/">said</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s quite possibly the most demanding endurance challenge ever staged in the United Kingdom.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The man behind the idea for <a href="https://the100peaks.com/">The 100 Peaks Challenge</a> was <a href="https://twitter.com/mr100peaks?lang=en">Karl Rushen</a>, whose brother Lloyd, a serviceman with the British Army Special Forces, was tragically killed in action – 25 days into his third tour of Afghanistan. In memory of his brother, Karl wanted to embark upon a series of endurance challenges around the country in aid of military charities. </p>
<h2>Human endurance</h2>
<p>I collaborated with several experts across the UK to explore physical responses to the challenge. To do this, we carried out tests before and after the challenge – including cardiac ultrasound, blood vessel structure and function, and respiratory airway function. And we also travelled with the team collecting data in the field.</p>
<p>We looked at the impact of this extreme event on the respiratory system (lungs and airways), the cardiovascular system (the heart and blood vessels) and nutrition (dietary profiles and gut biology). My specific interest was to investigate what happened to lung function when strenuous exercise was repeated over multiple, consecutive days. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"873220032179908608"}"></div></p>
<p>What we found was that the 100 Peaks Challenge resulted in progressive reductions in respiratory and cardiovascular function. This had not recovered in the athletes after two days of rest. There was also evidence that airway obstruction had occurred – and three of the team developed symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. The progressive decline in function that we saw with time suggests that, if the team had have continued for longer, their function may have diminished sufficiently to force them to stop.</p>
<p>We also found that the event resulted in decreased function of the small blood vessels, which in extreme cases can result in elevated blood pressure and increased cardiovascular risk.</p>
<p>Throughout the challenge, we profiled the athletes’ diets using food diaries to calculate their calorie intake. And our preliminary estimates showed that each athlete was burning between 4,000 to 6,000 calories a day. </p>
<p>These findings show the true gruelling effects these types of sporting events can have on a human body. And it was only by starting the 100 Peaks with supreme fitness that the athletes were able to continue performing and complete the challenge. The plan is to now use this data to help inform future training for extreme endurance challenges. Because inevitably – despite the risks – people will continue to want to challenge themselves in some of the most unique ways possible.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79375/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicholas B. Tiller 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>The physical impact of extreme exercise on the body is intense.Nicholas B. Tiller, Lecturer in Applied Physiology, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.