Unolympic Unionism or Apocryphal Olympism? Ideas for future anti-doping governance

Abstract

This article aims to present ideas for future anti-doping governance by considering the relative merits of trade union-based athlete representation (ATU) as opposed to the current system of so-called athletes’ commissions or athletes’ committees (AC). It therefore revisits recent examples of the rejection of trade unionism in anti-doping governance and questions the legitimacy of current arrangements. In order to investigate the normative basis of current practice and possible revisions, the author examines the use made, in the World Anti-Doping Code, of the concept of ‘Olympism’. The question is asked whether ‘Olympism’ is an appropriate justification for rejecting athlete representation via trade unions.

Keywords

• Doping
• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
• athletes
• trade unions
• Olympism
• Ancient Olympic Games