tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/olympic-sports-47934/articlesOlympic sports – The Conversation2024-01-07T12:37:16Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2196812024-01-07T12:37:16Z2024-01-07T12:37:16ZWhy we should take competitive video games more seriously<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564974/original/file-20231115-25-zcd5l2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C0%2C980%2C666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Today, the esports industry is worth several billion dollars globally.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Is playing competitive video games a serious business? </p>
<p>There’s no question about it for the thousands of <a href="https://www.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/">League of Legends</a> fans who flocked to South Korea last October to attend the <a href="https://youtu.be/tHMcncCS-XE?si=KFfNbrcjaTSCaCB6">Worlds 2023</a> championships of this ultra-popular game. The grand prize? <a href="https://lol.fandom.com/wiki/2023_Season_World_Championship">US$2,225,000</a>. </p>
<p>The Worlds 2023 event, which is still largely unknown to the general public, provides an opportunity for video game law specialists such as ourselves to explain just why competitive video games should be taken more seriously. </p>
<h2>Esports: a global social, cultural and economic phenomenon</h2>
<p>While North American sports leagues such as the NHL and NFL are well known — as are major traditional sporting competitions such as the Football World Cup or the Olympic Games — the same cannot be said for video game competitions. And yet, there is a whole world of professional competitions in the video game universe. Like traditional sports, the competitive video games world has its own leagues, well-established international competitions, its share of famous athletes and <a href="https://mashable.com/video/esports-events-are-filling-stadiums">hordes of fans</a>. These are known as esports.</p>
<p>Esports can be described simply as video games played in a competitive environment.</p>
<p>Although esports do not always enjoy the same level of recognition as traditional sports, they represent a sector that has grown significantly <a href="https://youtu.be/B_59wZ27ROE?si=4OWyy6Klh40POwwJ">over the last 10 years</a> and regularly attracts <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/490480/global-esports-audience-size-viewer-type/">millions of simultaneous viewers</a>. </p>
<p>A huge variety of esports games are now played competitively. In games such as <a href="https://lolesports.com/">League of Legends</a> or <a href="https://www.dota2.com/home">Dota</a>, two teams of players compete in multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs). These action-strategy games are something like supercharged chess games in which the aim is to destroy the opposing base. </p>
<p>There are also a number of very popular first-person shooting games such as <a href="https://valorantesports.com/">Valorant</a>, <a href="https://pro.eslgaming.com/csgo/proleague/">CSGO</a>, <a href="https://overwatchworldcup.com/en-us/">Overwatch</a> and <a href="https://www.fortnite.com/competitive">Fortnite</a>. </p>
<p>In short, when it comes to esports, there’s something for everyone, including those who prefer to (virtually!) play <a href="https://www.ea.com/en-ca/sports">traditional sports</a>.</p>
<h2>A booming sector</h2>
<p>In terms of viewership and popularity, the esports industry has <a href="https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/esports-ecosystem-market-report/">started to overtake traditional sports</a> in the past 10 years. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to this phenomenon.</p>
<p>Esports has also seen the emergence of internationally renowned superstars such as <a href="https://youtu.be/wU-1ZaT0hIg?si=vLKp_Krn37NSmKFV">Faker</a>, an athlete often considered the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3236384/asian-games-2023-south-koreas-league-legends-esports-gold-without-goat-faker-earns-military-service">greatest League of Legends player of all time</a> thanks to his huge victories and consistent success over the past decade.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1544343462476402688"}"></div></p>
<p>Today, the esports industry is worth <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/490522/global-esports-market-revenue/#:%7E:text=The%20term%20%22eSports%22%20is%20characterized,over%201.38%20billion%20U.S.%20dollars.">several billion dollars globally.</a></p>
<p>So it’s worth asking if esports will come to be recognized alongside traditional sports, or even have organized events as part of the Olympic Games?</p>
<p>It’s certainly possible. Esports are becoming more popular and have recently been added to the programs of major regional and international competitions. Several esports games have been included as demonstration events at the <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/esports-historic-medal-debut-19th-asian-games-hangzhou-schedule-live">Asian Games since 2018</a> and were on the official program of the <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/asian-games-2023-overall-medal-table-complete-list">2023 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China</a>. <a href="https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/10/600_360240.html">South Korea won the gold medal</a> in the League of Legends competition at these games, which led to Faker getting a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/korean-gamers-cusp-gold-avoiding-military-service-2023-09-28/">rare exemption from South Korea’s compulsory military service</a>. This exemption demonstrates how much recognition esports athletes are getting today in certain countries.</p>
<p>Regarding the inclusion of esports in the Olympics, video games were included as part of the <a href="https://olympics.com/en/esports/">Olympic Esports Series</a> in 2023. The event is organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).</p>
<p>This committee, which explores ways to rejuvenate the image of the Olympic Games and attract new audiences, has also initiated discussions about the <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-president-announces-plans-to-create-olympic-esports-games-at-opening-of-141st-ioc-session-in-mumbai">creation of an esports Olympic Games</a>.</p>
<h2>Career opportunities, but little support infrastructure</h2>
<p>Much like traditional sports, the opportunity to get involved in esports isn’t reserved exclusively for professional gamers who compete in official events.</p>
<p>As with any competitive event, professional management and support teams are essential for achieving a high performance level.</p>
<p>That means the development of electronic sports has opened up a <a href="https://esportslane.com/esports-job-profiles-non-gaming/">vast field of career possibilities</a> for game enthusiasts: as event organizers and managers, specialized journalists, nutritionists, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/beijing-winter-olympics-athlete-mental-health-1.6348932">consultants in mental preparation</a>, physiotherapists and even lawyers to organize the relationships between all these actors.</p>
<p>However, despite the popularity and immense potential of electronic sports, Canada lacks infrastructure and programs. This is especially obvious within educational institutions, places which nevertheless have many young fans of this booming industry.</p>
<p>Ideally, infrastructure suitable for esports should include high-performance computers, a dedicated esports room, a support team, intercollegiate competitions and, above all, an atmosphere that promotes the inclusion and participation of all in esports.</p>
<p>Some post-secondary institutions have created spaces on their campuses dedicated to esports. These spaces contribute to student recruitment. This is the case, for example, of <a href="https://www.stclaircollege.ca/news/2022/nexus-esports-arena-unveiled-opening-don-france-student-commons">St. Clair College in Ontario</a> which in 2022 created a brand new space at the cutting edge of technology — with a $23 million budget.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the University of British Columbia (UBC) invested $100,000 in equipment to create a <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/3001912/ubc-esports-club-%20opens-online-gaming-lounge/">lounge dedicated to electronic sports</a>.</p>
<p>Other organizations, such as the <a href="https://www.osea.gg">Ontario School Esports Associations (OSEA)</a>, are actively promoting the integration of an esports program into the school curriculum.</p>
<p>In the near future, if these efforts expand, we can imagine young esports fans will have the chance to turn their passion for video games into a professional career — whether they would compete at high-level competitions or whether they would pursue another career in the video game field.</p>
<h2>Players’ health</h2>
<p>Even with the growth and dazzling popularity the sector has gained in recent years, the picture of esports today is not entirely rosy.</p>
<p>The daily life of professional esports athletes is not easy. Their <a href="https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/8845/skt-fakers-24-hour-schedule-infographic-with-mobalyticsgg">schedules</a> are particularly busy and they spend a large part of their day <a href="https://youtu.be/uyF6ZwtLonM?si=IcG1dt7zjtHxtKZR">training</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@T1_Faker">producing online content</a>.</p>
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<p>The competitive seasons are particularly demanding and, with some exceptions, most players’ careers are very short. In recent years, more and more players have opened up about their <a href="https://www.esports.net/news/industry/hidden-struggles-of-esports-athletes-mental-health-crisis/">mental health struggles</a>. Others have simply <a href="https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/depression-burnout-insomnia-lec-pros-reveal-the-mental-toll-of-a-lol-esports-career">disappeared from the radar</a> after having made a thunderous breakthrough on the professional scene.</p>
<p>Research and support related to athletes’ working conditions will be necessary to ensure that they <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00494755221122493?icid=int.sj-abstract.citing-articles.5">do not endanger their health</a> and that they are not exploited by professional teams and leagues.</p>
<h2>Prevention and treatment of addiction phenomena</h2>
<p>The practice of esports can also have harmful effects on professional players, aspiring athletes or the general public due to excessive play time and/or expenses.</p>
<p>These phenomena are encouraged and exacerbated by the presence of mechanisms or strategies called <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/301007767.pdf">“Dark Patterns,”</a> widely used in <a href="https://www.darkpattern.games">certain video games</a>.</p>
<p>Dark Patterns can be temporal, encouraging players to invest an extended period of time in playing the game. For example, rewards for progressing in the game can be offered to players who play regularly every day.</p>
<p>Dark Patterns can also be monetary, by maximizing how much players will spend on a game. These expenses include mechanisms allowing players to pay to unlock aesthetic content or additional parts of a game.</p>
<p>Because of these mechanisms, it is essential to monitor and regulate the practices of the video game companies that use them.</p>
<h2>Esports are growing</h2>
<p>Electronic sports is a relatively recent practice that has grown incredibly over the last 10 years. However, this development has gone largely unnoticed by a large part of the general public.</p>
<p>Esports is nevertheless in a position to offer <a href="https://youtu.be/mP3fGkpmVM0?si=x6d7Pk9xr7BPOPTz">major events</a> which can easily rival the biggest traditional sporting events in popularity. It would be a mistake to underestimate esports, as it attracts both large crowds and talent.</p>
<p>On the contrary, it is important to support those who aspire to work in this field.</p>
<p>And above all, it is important to take a serious interest in the challenges and problems that esports face today, both in its professional and amateur practice.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219681/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Electronic sports, or esports, is a practice that is often looked down upon. But it is a growing global phenomenon played on an incredible scale.Thomas Burelli, Professeur en droit, Section de droit civil, Université d’Ottawa (Canada), membre du Conseil scientifique de la Fondation France Libertés, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaHaoran Liu, Reaserch Assistant, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaMarie Dykukha, Research Assistant, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2108832023-08-20T12:12:23Z2023-08-20T12:12:23ZGender inequality will still be an issue at the Paris 2024 Olympics — despite the Games being gender-balanced<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542864/original/file-20230815-26675-69iu8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C7%2C5101%2C3416&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tourists walk past the Olympic rings in front of Paris City Hall with one year until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony, on July 26, 2023. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)</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/gender-inequality-will-still-be-an-issue-at-the-paris-2024-olympics-despite-the-games-being-gender-balanced" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>With one year to go until the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, fans around the world have been following their teams’ performances at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. </p>
<p>For fans <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-upside-to-canada-being-knocked-out-of-the-fifa-womens-world-cup-210782">whose national teams didn’t advance as much as they had hoped</a>, they can look forward to seeing those same teams play at the Paris Olympics.</p>
<p>But the same is not true for the men’s national teams that competed at the <a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-back-on-the-2022-fifa-world-cup-a-tournament-of-surprises-and-controversy-194493">2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar</a>. At the Olympic Games, <a href="https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/mens-olympic-football-tournament-paris-2024-dates-stadiums-cities-qualifiers-qualified-teams-format">men’s national teams are limited to 23-year-old and younger players</a>, with three exceptions for overage players. There are <a href="https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/womens-olympic-football-tournament-paris-2024-dates-stadiums-cities-qualifiers-qualified-teams-format">no age restrictions for the women players</a>.</p>
<p>This is only one of the many gender-based differences in how men and women athletes compete at the Olympic Games. </p>
<h2>Olympic Games sport programme</h2>
<p>My research examines how the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has promoted gender equality at the Games. My book <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Gender-Equality-and-the-Olympic-Programme/Donnelly/p/book/9781032416809"><em>Gender Equality and the Olympic Programme</em></a> focuses on the sport programme — all the sports and events included at the Games — because it is the most visible aspect of the Olympic Games.</p>
<p><a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-programme-commission">According to the IOC</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“the Olympic programme is the fundamental core of the Olympic Games as decisions regarding the programme have an impact on virtually all other areas of the Olympic Games and Olympic Movement.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The inclusion of specific sports and events, as well as how women and men athletes play those sports (and what they wear to play them), sends important messages about how the IOC and other international sport federations define and attempt to achieve gender equality. </p>
<p>In addition, the sport programme is highly contested. International sport federations, athletes, Games Organizing Committees, broadcasters and the IOC all have interests in its composition. And, sometimes, <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1101717/ioc-paris-2024-programme-rejections">those interests conflict</a>.</p>
<h2>IOC’s quest for gender equality</h2>
<p>Most of the IOC’s claims about gender equality achievements at the Games are focused on the sport programme. The IOC has announced that at the 2024 Games, for the first time, there will be <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-first-games-to-achieve-full-gender-parity">an equal number of men and women athletes</a>, and the same number of events (opportunities to win a medal) for men and women.</p>
<p>In 2014, the IOC released <a href="https://library.olympics.com/Default/doc/SYRACUSE/20238/olympic-agenda-2020-20-20-recommendations-international-olympic-committee?_lg=en-GB">a strategic plan for the future of the Olympic Games</a>. Among the 40 recommendations is one about fostering gender equality. Including an equal number of men and women athletes at the Games is one strategy the IOC identified to “foster gender equality.” </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man in an open-collar shirt and blazer smiles from behind a podium emblazoned with the Olympic logo" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542865/original/file-20230815-29-w6qgzm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542865/original/file-20230815-29-w6qgzm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542865/original/file-20230815-29-w6qgzm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542865/original/file-20230815-29-w6qgzm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542865/original/file-20230815-29-w6qgzm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542865/original/file-20230815-29-w6qgzm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542865/original/file-20230815-29-w6qgzm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Paris 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet takes the stage during the representatives of national Olympic committees ceremony, on July 26, 2023 in Saint-Denis, outside Paris.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Claims about achieving “gender balance” have been an integral part of all the IOC’s statements about Paris 2024. It is crucial to critically examine what these claims mean and how they relate to achieving gender equality. </p>
<p>Ensuring gender parity — the same number of men and women athletes and men’s and women’s events — is important for gender equality at the Games, but it does not address the conditions of men’s and women’s participation. </p>
<h2>Gender differences in sporting events</h2>
<p>The IOC’s <a href="https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Beyond-the-Games/Gender-Equality-in-Sport/IOC-Gender-Equality-and-Inclusion-Objectives-2021-2024.pdf">aim to achieve gender balance</a> reveals an incomplete, numbers-focused commitment to gender equality. </p>
<p>When men and women compete in the same sports, international federations continue to enforce differences between men’s and women’s events. These differences include: the <a href="https://assets.ctfassets.net/761l7gh5x5an/3zdJc5antr1dA3GYeDKdBu/bef82a9d7336e9b798c364066db92581/2-ROA-20230613-E.pdf">length of races</a>; <a href="https://iwf.sport/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2020/01/IWF_TCRR_2020.pdf">weight categories</a>; the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/book-of-rules">height, weight, size and spacing of equipment</a>; the <a href="https://resources.fina.org/fina/document/2021/01/12/a13c160d-b94a-4b63-93aa-a06fa370433f/2019_2021_wp_rules_congress_amended_06012020_0.pdf">size of venues</a>; and differences in <a href="https://www.gymnastics.sport/site/rules/">judging</a>, <a href="https://uww.org/sites/default/files/2019-12/wrestling_rules.pdf">rules</a> and <a href="https://www.fivb.com/en/volleyball/thegame_glossary/officialrulesofthegames">uniforms</a>.</p>
<p>For example, in artistic gymnastics, <a href="https://www.gymnastics.sport/site/rules/">the differences between the men’s and women’s competitions</a> include age requirements (18 years old for men and 16 for women); different apparatus (e.g., parallel bars for men and uneven parallel bars for women); the number of apparatus (six for men and four for women); and uniform requirements (long or short pants for men, leotards or unitards for women).</p>
<p>On the floor and vault — apparatus on which both men and women compete — women’s floor routines are set to music and include dance elements, while the men’s do not. When performing the same skills, men’s eligible scores are lower than women’s. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young Black women in a leotard balances on one bent leg while on a balance beam" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542862/original/file-20230815-23-n8p5qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542862/original/file-20230815-23-n8p5qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542862/original/file-20230815-23-n8p5qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542862/original/file-20230815-23-n8p5qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542862/original/file-20230815-23-n8p5qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542862/original/file-20230815-23-n8p5qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542862/original/file-20230815-23-n8p5qo.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">Simone Biles, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women’s apparatus final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What the audience sees is women’s gymnastics performed in ways that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2015.1124859">emphasize stereotypical femininity</a> and minimize strength and power. In contrast, men’s gymnastics events are organized to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19799-5_8">emphasize the athletes’ strength and power</a>.</p>
<p>These gender-based differences are examples of gender inequality. </p>
<h2>Complete gender equality</h2>
<p>In cases where sports are gender-differentiated, women’s sports are designed to be a lesser version than the men’s. Women’s races are shorter, there are fewer weight categories, equipment and venues are lighter and smaller and women wear more revealing uniforms.</p>
<p>Differences in men’s and women’s conditions of participation are the result of decisions made by those who control Olympic sports — decision-makers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243219867914">who continue to be predominantly men</a>. The differences are not naturally occurring, nor are they universal.</p>
<p>In fact, there are several sports and events on the Olympic programme that are not gender-differentiated. For example, men and women athletes competing in <a href="https://www.worldarchery.sport/rulebook">archery</a> and <a href="https://www.worldbadminton.com/rules/">badminton</a> use the same venue, equipment and rules.</p>
<p>This is evidence of internal contradictions in the Olympic programme; some events are constructed to be different for men and women athletes, while others are not. This reinforces the need to identify and explain the remaining examples of gender-based differences.</p>
<p>These internal contradictions also require further attention from the IOC and the adoption of a more complete definition of gender equality — one that includes opportunity and status. </p>
<p>The IOC needs to look beyond the numbers and work with international federations to address athletes’ conditions of participation in the same sports. </p>
<p>Crucially, embracing and enforcing gender equality should not mean using men’s sports as the standard (e.g., increasing the length of women’s races to be the same as the men’s distance). Rather, this is an opportunity for international federations to determine the best possible conditions for all athletes in their sports.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210883/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michele K. Donnelly has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). </span></em></p>The IOC needs to look beyond gender parity and work with international federations to address athletes’ conditions of participation in sports to achieve true gender equality.Michele K. Donnelly, Assistant professor, Department of Sport Management, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1720452021-11-19T01:07:43Z2021-11-19T01:07:43ZA win for transgender athletes and athletes with sex variations: the Olympics shifts away from testosterone tests and toward human rights<p>The International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week <a href="https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/News/2021/11/IOC-Framework-Fairness-Inclusion-Non-discrimination-2021.pdf">released</a> a much anticipated policy document aimed at making the Olympics more inclusive for transgender athletes and athletes with sex variations.</p>
<p>The new <a href="https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/News/2021/11/IOC-Framework-Fairness-Inclusion-Non-discrimination-2021.pdf">framework</a> builds on more than two years of consultation with diverse athletes, advocates, and stakeholders.</p>
<p>The devil will be in the detail and implementation, of course. But this fresh approach, which places human rights at the centre, could herald a new era of gender-inclusive sports participation and governance.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/world-rugbys-proposed-ban-on-trans-athletes-is-wrong-history-shows-inclusion-is-possible-145540">World Rugby's proposed ban on trans athletes is wrong. History shows inclusion is possible</a>
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<h2>Why this new framework – and why now?</h2>
<p>One of the most prominent gender equity and human rights issues of recent years has been the inclusion of gender-minoritised people – those whose bodies and/or gender expression and identity do not neatly align with normative notions of the female/male binary. </p>
<p>This issue affects sport globally from grassroots to elite levels. Stakeholders have long called for change.</p>
<p>We work with sports organisations and athletes grappling with the question of inclusion in women’s sport. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19406940.2021.1955727">Our own research</a> has highlighted that many sports organisations develop policies with little to no knowledge of the complexity of the issue – and often without engaging the athletes affected.</p>
<p>The new IOC framework follows a long and much-critiqued history of efforts to define the boundaries of the female athlete category, dating back to the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/sex-testing-at-the-olympics-should-be-abolished-once-and-for-all-132956">nude parades</a>” of the 1960s. </p>
<p>In the past, the goal has been to find a “biological basis of womanhood” and relied on <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1357034X19865940">incomplete and controversial scientific evidence</a>. </p>
<p>Today, however, there is wider recognition of the fact science alone cannot provide a straightforward answer to such as socially and biologically complex question. </p>
<p>An alternative approach, reflected in the IOC’s new framework, is to build policy around the concept of human rights.</p>
<h2>What do the new guidelines say?</h2>
<p>The new framework recognise human rights as a fundamental responsibility of sports governing bodies.</p>
<p>It explicitly takes the approach athletes shouldn’t be excluded solely on the basis of their transgender identity or sex variations. It aims to ensure everyone can practice sport safely and free from harassment, irrespective of their gender or sex-linked traits. </p>
<p>Importantly, the framework attempts to move sports governing bodies away from relying on testosterone as a one-size-fits-all measure of eligibility. </p>
<p>In its place, it emphasises ten key principles to guide the policy development process: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>prevention of harm</p></li>
<li><p>non-discrimination</p></li>
<li><p>fairness</p></li>
<li><p>no presumption of advantage</p></li>
<li><p>evidence-based approaches to regulation</p></li>
<li><p>the primacy of health and bodily autonomy</p></li>
<li><p>a stakeholder-centered approach to rule development</p></li>
<li><p>the right to privacy </p></li>
<li><p>periodic review of eligibility regulations.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The relationship between testosterone and performance is so complex, sports governing bodies cannot realistically expect to rely on testosterone measures when defining eligibility.</p>
<p>There is just as much diversity among the bodies and performances of trans women and women with sex variations as we see among cisgender and normatively-bodied women athletes. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1460662931159404554"}"></div></p>
<p>The IOC’s <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-releases-framework-on-fairness-inclusion-and-non-discrimination-on-the-basis-of-gender-identity-and-sex-variations">spokespeople</a> were pragmatic: let’s take one step at a time, have faith in the ten principles, and see where they take us. </p>
<p>In this way, the new framework (and its underlying philosophy) moves us well beyond contentious <a href="https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Commissions_PDFfiles/Medical_commission/2015-11_ioc_consensus_meeting_on_sex_reassignment_and_hyperandrogenism-en.pdf">testosterone thresholds introduced in 2015</a> and the 2003 <a href="https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reports/EN/en_report_905.pdf">Stockholm consensus</a>, which required athletes to have affirmation surgeries and “anatomical changes”.</p>
<p>In fact, the IOC now recognises the “severe harm” and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2159676X.2021.1920456">systemic discrimination caused by such eligibility criteria and policies</a>. </p>
<p>This includes the disproportionate burdens and harms that have been wrought upon women of colour from Global South nations in sports like track and field. </p>
<p>The question now is: how will other sports governing bodies, most notably the International Federations (IFs) that govern each Olympic sport, be brought on side? </p>
<p>The IOC now calls for IFs to take</p>
<blockquote>
<p>a principled approach to develop their criteria that are applicable to their sport.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>An important and welcome move</h2>
<p>This framework represents a step forward for gender-inclusive sport but there’s more work ahead. It doesn’t mention non-binary athletes at all, meaning it still frames elite sports participation within a strict gender binary.</p>
<p>It’s promising to see a shift away from a paradigm focused on particular scientific and medical approaches regulating exclusion of certain groups. The move toward a contemporary vision of gender-inclusive sport is promising. </p>
<p>This new approach is a positive move for gender equitable sport; both trans women and women with sex variations will be valuable allies in the fight to make sport safe and inclusive for all women.</p>
<p>Hopefully, it will help make grassroots a more welcome space for trans and gender diverse people. These groups report alarming levels of poor mental health and suicidal ideation and have a right to opportunities to improve wellbeing through sport.</p>
<p>Sport has a unique opportunity to advance progress and health outcomes for marginalised communities.</p>
<p>This move may offer hope to young people of diverse genders and sex that they too can strive to achieve greatness in a sport they love.</p>
<p><em>Independent researcher Payoshni Mitra contributed to this article.</em></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-way-we-talk-about-olympian-laurel-hubbard-has-real-consequences-for-all-transgender-people-163418">Why the way we talk about Olympian Laurel Hubbard has real consequences for all transgender people</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172045/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ryan Storr works for/consults to Proud2Play. He is affiliated with Proud2Play. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sheree Bekker is an invited speaker at the International Olympic Committee World Conference on the Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport, Monaco, 25-27 November 2021. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madeleine Pape 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>A new IOC framework aims to ensure everyone can practice sport safely and free from harassment, irrespective of their gender or sex-linked traits.Ryan Storr, Research fellow, Swinburne University of TechnologyMadeleine Pape, Postdoctoral Researcher, Université de LausanneSheree Bekker, Assistant Professor, University of BathLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1084652019-02-24T15:48:00Z2019-02-24T15:48:00ZWill Canada ever host another Olympics? If not, don’t blame the 1976 Montréal Games<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260465/original/file-20190222-195867-1l9n6u4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Montréal's Olympic Stadium remains the symbol, for better or worse, of the 1976 Games</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern day Olympic Games, once said: “A country can truly call itself sporting when the majority of its people feel a personal need for sport.”</p>
<p>Is Canada a sporting nation? It’s a fair question to ask ever since Calgarians <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-calgary-is-no-longer-an-olympic-city-103713">voted against a plan for the city to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics.</a> The lingering effects of a depressed oil market in Alberta, combined with Olympic cynicism and three levels of government taking too long to reach a funding agreement likely contributed to the resounding vote against the bid.</p>
<p>As an Olympian and someone deeply involved in the advancement of sport in Canada, the vote against the bid was difficult for me to reconcile. So if we are not a sporting nation by de Coubertin’s definition, should Canada host a Games in the future?</p>
<p>I would argue yes, but many Canadians would argue against me. And those who say we should never host another Olympics like to bring up something from a long time ago — the 1976 Montréal Olympics.</p>
<p>After bidding six times, Montréal became the first Canadian city to host an Olympics and the only city ever to host a Summer Games. The Montréal Olympics cost the Québec government $1.5 billion — 13 times its projected cost — and the deficit took 30 years to pay off.</p>
<p>The ’76 Games were held at a tumultuous time in Québec’s history — the province was struggling with a cultural war that involved fierce debates over nationalism and language laws. On top of the political turmoil, the Montréal Games had to deal with incredible construction problems with the venues — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2013.785759">sky rocketing steel costs and disgruntled workers who walked off the job</a>, less than a year before the Games. This was the making of a perfect storm.</p>
<p>More than 40 years later, the Montréal Games are still cited by many critics as the reason why Canada should never host another Olympics. I take a contrarian view. In many ways, the 1976 Montréal Olympic Games were a success.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260467/original/file-20190222-195873-12a69h2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260467/original/file-20190222-195873-12a69h2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260467/original/file-20190222-195873-12a69h2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1105&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260467/original/file-20190222-195873-12a69h2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1105&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260467/original/file-20190222-195873-12a69h2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1105&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260467/original/file-20190222-195873-12a69h2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1389&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260467/original/file-20190222-195873-12a69h2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1389&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260467/original/file-20190222-195873-12a69h2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1389&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Two Montréal teenagers, Sandra Henderson and Stéphane Préfontaine, shared the honour of lighting the Olympic flame at the 1976 Summer Games.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(CP PHOTO/Doug Ball)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The strength of any major Games is measured by its legacy. Holger Preuss, a German professor of sport economics, says sport legacies are the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080701736957">planned and unplanned, positive and negative intangible and tangible structures created through a sport event that remain after the event</a>.”</p>
<p>Tangible legacies are often grouped according to sporting development, economics and infrastructural advancement. Intangible legacies include knowledge and education, emotional and social impact, as well as providing a positive image of the host city and country. The Montréal Olympics delivered both tangible and intangible legacies that are often overlooked, but in fact are still felt today.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260472/original/file-20190222-195864-eby9dj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260472/original/file-20190222-195864-eby9dj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260472/original/file-20190222-195864-eby9dj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=830&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260472/original/file-20190222-195864-eby9dj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=830&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260472/original/file-20190222-195864-eby9dj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=830&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260472/original/file-20190222-195864-eby9dj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1042&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260472/original/file-20190222-195864-eby9dj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1042&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/260472/original/file-20190222-195864-eby9dj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1042&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">Bruce Jenner crosses the finish line in the 1,500-metre race to secure the gold medal in the decathlon at the Olympics in Montréal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/File)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While great attendance and incredible performances highlighted these Games — remember gymnast Nadia Comăneci’s perfect 10s and <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2016/06/28/caitlyn-jenner-1976-olympics-gold-medal">decathlete Bruce (now Caitlyn) Jenner’s gold medal performance</a>? — the return on investment of these intangible legacies are difficult to measure.</p>
<p>But the tangible legacy can be found in the lasting impact of the <a href="https://parcolympique.qc.ca/en/">Olympic Park</a>, which consists of the Olympic Stadium, Montréal Tower, the Esplanade and the Sports Centre. More than 100 million people have visited the Park since its opening.</p>
<p>There are many lasting legacies from the Olympic Park.</p>
<p>● Promoting sport development is a primary objective when hosting the Olympics and the Sports Centre is launch pad for the next generation of athletes, while promoting a physically active society by offering various recreational programs. It hosts various events throughout the year, welcoming more than 300,000 visitors, and is the home to the <a href="https://www.insquebec.org/">Institut National du Sport du Québec</a>, which serves as a vital training ground for various national teams, athletes and coaches.</p>
<p>● The original Olympic Stadium — despite being given the nickname the <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/general/the-big-owe/">Big Owe</a> because of its costs overruns — has also provided the city with a valuable legacy. The domed stadium and its inclined tower has become an iconic symbol of the city. Despite no longer being home to a major sports team, the stadium is used throughout the year for sporting events, exhibitions and concerts. Hosting these large-scale events provide an economic impact to the city, realized by hotels, restaurants, taxes and transportation. Currently, the Olympic Stadium is in contention as a venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If selected, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/3964299/hosting-part-of-2026-fifa-world-cup-to-cost-35-55-million-city-report/">Montréal could experience an economic impact of $200 million.</a></p>
<p>● Standing at 165 metres and on a 45-degree angle, Montréal Tower is the world’s tallest incline tower. Attached to the stadium, it offers a view of 80 kilometres on a good day and has become a major tourist destination, attracting more than 200,000 visitors per year. The tower is also the new head office of the Québec insurance company Desjardins, <a href="http://www.montrealintechnology.com/desjardins-is-taking-over-the-tower-at-the-olympic-stadium-heres-a-sneak-peak">which has signed a five-year rental agreement</a> for seven of the tower’s 12 floors.</p>
<p>Other tangible legacies of the Montréal Olympics include <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/lifestyle/what-apartments-look-like-in-montreals-the-olympic-village">the athletes’ village that was transformed into apartments</a>, expansion of the Métro subway lines and the establishment of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/1974-jackpot-canadas-first-national-lottery-winners">Canada’s first national lottery</a>, which was instituted to help finance the Games.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sCjvKUxqFZE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Nadia Comăneci on her Montréal Olympics triple-gold performance (courtesy The Olympic Channel)</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is worth noting the Montréal Games occurred in an era before the Olympic global sponsorship program. After Montréal, the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/the-ever-increasing-cost-of-being-an-olympic-sponsor-1.2527993">International Olympic Committee brought in a new business model that offered select advertisers exclusive partnerships</a> and as a result, the <a href="https://www.olympic.org/los-angeles-1984">1984 L.A. Games generated a profit of approximately $200 million</a>. Comparing current Olympic bids to those prior to 1984 is truly an apple and orange exercise.</p>
<p>While the power of sports is undeniable, it will always be a challenge for Canadian cities to bid for another Olympics. Bid organizers should identify the needs of their city — affordable housing, transportation, road development, for example — and leverage hosting a major Games to accelerate these developments.</p>
<p>Considering the tangible legacies, Montréal gained a lot by hosting the 1976 Olympics.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108465/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole W. Forrester 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>Many Canadians point to the 1976 Montréal Games as the reason why the country should never host another Olympics. But an Olympian argues the Montréal Games had many lasting benefits.Nicole W. Forrester, Assistant Professor, School of Media, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1036362018-09-24T10:56:32Z2018-09-24T10:56:32ZSports anti-doping bodies won’t reform themselves, but nation states can break the deadlock<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237711/original/file-20180924-85758-14jg4se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Anti-doping control bodies are themselves in need of control.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.visitcampnou.com">visitcampnou</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Following the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/13/sports/russia-doping-sochi-olympics-2014.html?_r=0">extraordinary state-sponsored doping scandal</a> of the Russian Olympic team, the international sport’s anti-doping regime faces its worst credibility crisis in decades. The latest decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/20/wada-crisis-lifts-russia-suspension-anti-doping">reinstate the Russian Anti Doping Agency</a> and its Moscow laboratory after their multi-year suspension has again focused attention on the viability of the regime to tackle cheating in sport.</p>
<p>The international anti-doping system, recognised as having longstanding inefficiencies, has responded inadequately to the Russian scandal. The sanctioning policy, directed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), remains ad-hoc, as seen in the inconsistent, delayed, and many believe lenient measures against Russian teams in multiple sports. The regime’s accountability structure has not changed in a way that would create incentives for the IOC and WADA as the global anti-doping regulator to do better. Under the current structure there is no forum for these organisations to be held accountable for the outcomes of their policies. </p>
<p>The recent establishment of the <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1060521/independent-testing-authority-moves-closer-to-becoming-operational-after-first-meeting">Independent Testing Authority</a>, intended to take over the role of testing athletes from (conflicted) international sporting federations, national anti-doping organisations and laboratories, is a welcome step. But it was driven by the IOC, and hardly qualifies as revolutionary change. WADA has not been given the tools to effectively combat doping, nor has sanctioning policy been sufficiently tightened to deter future cheating. In fact, despite <a href="https://theconversation.com/athletics-doping-report-should-spark-radical-rethink-on-drugs-in-sport-50376">various reform proposals</a>, the system is steering away from meaningful change towards preserving the status quo. </p>
<p>So it’s unlikely that the international anti-doping system will reform from within, and the opportunities for those outside the Olympic institutions are very limited. Even though it is a hybrid regime that features both public and private regulation, the sports governance system is dominated by one private organisation: the IOC. Is the system doomed to stagnate in spite of calls for reform? Not necessarily. One way forward is through greater government involvement. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237712/original/file-20180924-85764-bwcgmm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237712/original/file-20180924-85764-bwcgmm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237712/original/file-20180924-85764-bwcgmm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237712/original/file-20180924-85764-bwcgmm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237712/original/file-20180924-85764-bwcgmm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237712/original/file-20180924-85764-bwcgmm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237712/original/file-20180924-85764-bwcgmm.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">Anti-doping laboratories have historically been accurate, but the anti-doping organisations themselves lack oversight.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bartlomiej Zborowski/EPA</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Reform-minded states lead the way</h2>
<p>While not key players in international sports governance, national governments could spur on reform in several ways.</p>
<p>First, in the absence of robust international action to police and sanction cheating, anti-doping measures can be tightened at domestic level. Doping schemes can be criminalised, and international authorities can be assisted to prosecute their perpetrators abroad. </p>
<p>A notable effort is the recently proposed <a href="https://www.csce.gov/sites/helsinkicommission.house.gov/files/RADA%20signed.pdf">Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act</a> in the US, which would criminalise doping cartels and authorise state authorities to prosecute violations committed overseas, on the grounds that they have harmed US interests. While it is not certain whether this will become law, the more countries that introduce similar measures the greater potential there is for deterring and prosecuting organised doping schemes. </p>
<p>Second, states can enhance anti-doping regulation through international legislation. The current <a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/anti-doping/international-convention-against-doping-in-sport/">UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport</a> harmonises global anti-doping standards, but does not regulate the workings of the anti-doping regime. There is scope for further regulation to strengthen anti-doping tools and to introduce accountability mechanisms for Olympic organisations.</p>
<p>Given the public interest and investment in sport and the need to protect the rights of athletes, using international law to update anti-doping policy could be readily justified. Just as states managed in the late 1990s to mobilise stakeholders to <a href="https://www.iilj.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Casini-Global-hybrid-public-private-bodies-2009.pdf">create the anti-doping regime</a>, with a new global regulator, they can similarly spearhead efforts now to break the deadlock. </p>
<p>Governments can also step up their involvement in WADA. Half the seats on WADA’s governing bodies are held by state delegates (representing states as co-funders of WADA). Even though these delegates have little power over the anti-doping regime, they can still have a larger impact. For example, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/44227689">recently announced candidacy for WADA president</a> of Linda Helleland, former Norwegian sports minister and current WADA vice-president, is significant for the 2019 elections. Were Helleland elected she could be the springboard for change for reform-minded governments. While the position lacks direct powers, the WADA presidency is an agenda-setting role that sets the direction of debate. This would add to the pressure on the IOC from within.</p>
<p>So, not only has the anti-doping regime been exposed as dysfunctional, but there seems little appetite for change. Despite the role of the state in the Russian doping scandal, we would argue that more, rather than less, state involvement could be a promising way to break the deadlock. It might seem paradoxical that the anti-doping system, having been “hacked” by those within governments, might also find that governments are their saviour. But the collaborative efforts of many states is the best way to address the disruptive role of a few and “keep them honest”. The alternative – that the same governing bodies that have failed sports so far will reinvent themselves without further oversight – seems vanishingly unlikely.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103636/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The initial research for this article was conducted while Slobodan Tomic was employed by sports governance consultancy I Trust Sport.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Schmidt 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>Anti-doping laboratories have historically worked well, but the anti-doping organisations themselves lack oversight.Slobodan Tomic, Post-Doctoral Marie Currie Fellow, University College DublinRebecca Schmidt, Assistant Professor in Law, Dublin City UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/963462018-05-27T19:57:59Z2018-05-27T19:57:59ZThe IOC thinks eSports are too violent for the Olympics, but traditional sports are violent too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220045/original/file-20180523-51141-10qh3ox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Violence is often accepted as a intrinsic part of sports.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.shutterstock.com%2Fgatekeeper%2FW3siZSI6MTUyNzA2NTAwNiwiYyI6Il9waG90b19zZXNzaW9uX2lkIiwiZGMiOiJpZGxfNTcwODk5NzczIiwiayI6InBob3RvLzU3MDg5OTc3My9odWdlLmpwZyIsIm0iOjEsImQiOiJzaHV0dGVyc3RvY2stbWVkaWEifSwiN0wvckpteDg1Y1NSQkJobVFhQk4xS085ZlV3Il0%2Fshutterstock_570899773.jpg&pi=26377567&m=570899773&src=DcTAB3doZz-y2Q10_T1_Dg-1-30">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you were a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would you allow professional video gaming (also known as eSports) as a new Olympic Games event? That’s exactly what the committee is considering right now.</p>
<p>You might think that the IOC’s hesitancy to include eSports is associated with the lack of physical movement it involves. But instead their concern is related to the violence that is embedded in many video games. IOC president Thomas Bach <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/43893891">said</a>:</p>
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<p>…the red line would be eGames which are killer games, where you have the promotion of violence or any kind of discrimination as a content. They can never be recognised as a part of the Olympic movement because they would be contrary to our values and principles.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/esports-are-shifting-the-focus-of-australias-sporting-passion-93076">eSports are shifting the focus of Australia's sporting passion</a>
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<p>But on-field sport also has a long <a href="https://violence-in-ancient-olympics.weebly.com/events.html">history of violence</a> – it is often accepted as a intrinsic part of the contest and game. As <a href="https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/the-sporting-spirit/">George Orwell once claimed</a>, sport involves “…sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting”.</p>
<p>Rather than pitting one against the other, however, let’s consider the messages around violence and aggression that sports collectively give children and young people – and devise strategies to lessen their impact.</p>
<h2>Violence in video games</h2>
<p>With titles such as “Counter-Strike”, “Call of Duty: Infinite warfare” and “Streetfighter”, it’s no wonder that violence is frequently singled out as a defining and negative feature of video games.</p>
<p>About 90% of children younger than 12 years, and 95% of children aged 12 and older, play video games. More than 85% of video games on the market <a href="http://www.apa.org/about/policy/violent-video-games.aspx">contain some form of violence</a>.</p>
<p>Video game violence is often based on hyper-realistic bloody battles and shootouts. Players (generally children and young people) commonly select from an arsenal of weapons to kill first-person style, in war or street-crime related narratives. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03637751.2014.922206?journalCode=rcmm20">Most violent video games</a> include justifications of the portrayed violence, a distorted portrayal of consequences, and dehumanisation of opponents.</p>
<p>Community and parental concerns centre on whether playing online battles and first-person shooter games will encourage real-life <a href="http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games.aspx">aggressive behaviour and desensitise children to violent acts</a>.</p>
<h2>Violence on the sporting field</h2>
<p>However, others may argue that watching a real boxing match or taekwondo fight – two sports that allow acts that would be deemed illegal if they were committed on the street – would have the same effect on a child. It’s a valid point.</p>
<p>At the forefront of the on-field sport violence conversation is the number of injuries – estimated at more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/health/sports-injuries-football-yale.html">600,000 per year in US sports</a>. Concussions, which are a serious form of head trauma, are not just being seen among professional athletes but among <a href="https://sportconcussion.com.au/children-and-concussion/">school-aged children too</a>.</p>
<p>For spectators, the majority of on-field professional sport is watched on a screen. At the same time, professional sport has become increasingly commodified and detached from everyday life. </p>
<p>The celebrity lifestyles of many leading athletes (and their the wives and girlfriends) can “dehumanise” athletes to the point where they seem like characters in a game. Watching professional sport often provides a sense of freedom and escape from modern life and, in this manner, can be viewed as being somehow less “real”.</p>
<p>This is apparent in the fact that fighting is “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3752193/">considered by many as an integral part of playing hockey in the National Hockey League (NHL)</a>”. Ice hockey fights are so popular with fans that a dedicated <a href="https://twitter.com/hockeyfights">Twitter account</a> has been established. </p>
<p>Similarly, the movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385002/">Green Street Hooligans</a> depicts football “firms” (violent football fans who induce street fights against supporters of other teams), who rank the achievements of their firm as well as that of their team on the pitch. </p>
<p>It is now generally accepted <a href="https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/878724">in the academic community</a> that violent acts on the sporting field often work as a <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/footage-is-captured-of-an-ugly-brawl-between-collingwood-fans-at-the-mcg-on-wednesday/news-story/3294737de7abada17995def2eabe0f84">catalyst for violent behaviour</a>. This is often exacerbated by <a href="https://aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/vt04.pdf?v=1509678335">poorly designed stadiums and excessive alcohol consumption by spectators</a>. This context sends a powerful message about violence to children who attend professional sporting events.</p>
<h2>What the research says about the impact of violence in sports</h2>
<p>While <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/08/trump-video-game-violence-445441">US President Donald Trump</a> is among those who are adamant that violent video games lead to aggressive behaviour – such as school shootings – the evidence is less clear.</p>
<p>Research is often based on laboratory experiments in which researchers randomly assign participants to play a violent or non-violent game. In the short term, the findings paint a patchy picture. </p>
<p>In some studies, violent game play was <a href="https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/guns-and-games-the-relationship-between-violent-video-games-andgun-crimes-in-america-2151-6200-1000207.php?aid=77854">found</a> to have no effect, while other research has <a href="http://www.apa.org/about/policy/violent-video-games.aspx">suggested</a> that it increased aggressive behaviour and reduced prosocial behaviour, empathy and moral engagement.</p>
<p>Similarly, on-field sports can negatively effect children who participate. A recent study <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/51/4/405.1">found</a> that 38% of children experience violence in sport – including psychological and sexual violence. Results showed that this had a significant negative impact on psychopathology and quality of life in adulthood.</p>
<h2>How to educate kids about sporting violence</h2>
<p>Many children today participate in and/or watch both on field sport and video gaming. <a href="http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games.aspx">No single risk factor consistently leads a person to act aggressively or violently</a>, rather, it is the accumulation of risk factors that tends to lead to aggressive or violent behaviour.</p>
<p>Children are influenced by what they observe. Coaches and players across all sports should be encouraged to promote anti-violence messages rather than pushing players to “win at all costs”. Pre- and post-game rituals for all sports that highlight connections between opponents, <a href="http://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12175/11310303/tim-paine-introduces-new-australian-era-with-handshakes-against-south-africa">such as handshakes</a>, can make spectators aware of anti-violence norms and promote civility towards others.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-boxing-and-cage-fighting-should-be-banned-but-wont-be-38901">Why boxing and cage fighting should be banned – but won't be</a>
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<p>Meanwhile, critical conversations with kids about rules embedded in on field and eSports games could potentially lead them to deconstruct the violence they are seeing. Additionally, we need greater acknowledgement of violence in established games and a balance of non-violent games across all sports.</p>
<p>While on-field sport and eSport have many benefits, including team work and problem-solving, sport of all kinds is rife with aggression that impacts kids physically, emotionally and mentally. Instead of asking which is worse, let’s consider the collective effect they have on kids, and what we need to change to improve it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96346/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors 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>We should consider the messages that violence and aggression in sports of all kinds give children and young people – and devise strategies to lessen the impact.Joanne Orlando, Researcher: Technology and Learning, Western Sydney UniversityKeith Parry, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/893052018-01-14T19:03:23Z2018-01-14T19:03:23ZWhy it might be time to eradicate sex segregation in sports<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199809/original/file-20171218-27607-5y4r9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In sport, movement is based on physical ability, which is not necessarily linked to sex.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://photos.aap.com.au/search/Caster%20Semenya">EPA</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In many areas, gender equality has been improving gradually. But this is not the case in sport, where <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/sex-testing-olympians?utm_term=.xm573kjnRg#.reX6QmXAGV">women continue to be banned</a> for being insufficiently feminine to be permitted to compete.</p>
<p>In our <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19406940.2017.1406976">research</a> we argue that one way to move beyond problematic gender barriers is to eradicate sex segregation completely and replace it with a system similar to that used in Paralympic sport.</p>
<h2>A history of discrimination against female athletes</h2>
<p>Historically, women have been required to <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15265161.2012.680545">undergo humiliating sex testing</a> procedures in order to compete in sport. More recently, such testing <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/landia/PIIS2213-8587(16)30213-3.pdf">has been suspended</a> owing to the lack of consensus about which traits make someone male or female.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/fair-play-at-the-olympics-testosterone-and-female-athletes-60156">Fair play at the Olympics: testosterone and female athletes</a>
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<p>This issue reached public consciousness through the case of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/sports/caster-semenya-800-meters.html">Caster Semenya</a>, the 2008 800m world champion who was banned from competition for two years on the grounds of appearing masculine and having high levels of testosterone. </p>
<p>In 2012, several women <a href="https://theconversation.com/fair-play-at-the-olympics-testosterone-and-female-athletes-60156">underwent surgery</a> in order to meet the requirements to compete in the women’s events at the Olympic Games, even though they had always identified as women and externally appeared to be women.</p>
<p>Women are not the only group who receive a poor deal in sport. While weight classes in some sports allow smaller athletes a chance at success, there is no such consideration for other traits, such as height. This means that shorter athletes never have a chance in events such as high jump, volleyball and basketball.</p>
<p>Other athletes are lucky enough to have advantageous traits that do not lead to a ban. For example, they have greater aerobic capacity or stronger <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/fastandslowtwitch/soleus.shtml">fast-twitch fibres</a> (which contract quickly, but get tired fast). But it is not considered unfair for other athletes to compete against them, as it would be if their weight were too high or they were men rather than women.</p>
<h2>It’s been solved in the Paralympics</h2>
<p>Paralympic sport has been forced to deal much more closely with the issue of classification owing to the range of bodies that compete. </p>
<p>In the 1990s, the classification system changed to one that was based on functional ability rather than <a href="https://books.google.co.nz/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BPsqAoFtG-sC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Depauw,+K.P.+%26+Gavron,+S.J.,+2005.+Disability+sport&ots=ef5z1aksiK&sig=TkRFbMhvHo8KSDyppfArKsnTrw8#v=onepage&q&f=false">on medical conditions</a>. It continues today, where rather than labelling athletes as having a particular medical condition, they are placed in a racing category based on the movements their body can perform, related to the sport they compete in.</p>
<p>We suggest that in able-bodied sport, it would similarly make sense to remove the label of male or female and replace it with categories based on the ability of bodies to move in that particular sport. This is a confronting notion, as we are not used to thinking about sex and gender as based on particular traits. </p>
<p>In sport, movement is based on physical ability, which is not necessarily linked to sex. In each sport, it would be possible to identify the characteristics which make up a successful athletes and create categories based on those rather than on sex. </p>
<p>For example, for a 100m sprinter, the ideal athlete would perhaps be made up of muscle mass and fast-twitch fibres. Therefore, rather than classifying by sex, sprinters could be classified by their level of muscle mass and fast-twitch fibres. </p>
<p>In another example, in sports such as high jump, volleyball and basketball, athletes could be classified according to muscle mass and height. </p>
<p>Finally, in an endurance sport, athletes could be classified according to muscle mass and lung capacity. An example of categories under our alternative model is presented below. </p>
<p><iframe id="7NNQQ" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/7NNQQ/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Given society is structured so strongly along gendered lines, the public would be unlikely to find this idea easy to accept. We are not used to men competing against women. </p>
<p>However, several <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17430437.2015.1096252">studies</a> have found that the more men <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/4/4/587/htm">play against women</a>, the more they come to accept that women can be good athletes, which suggests it is worth pursuing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89305/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roslyn Kerr 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>One way to get beyond gender barriers in sport would be to scrap sex segregation and replace it with a system similar to that of Paralympic disciplines.Roslyn Kerr, Senior Lecturer in Sociology of Sport, Lincoln University, New ZealandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.