The Olympics and Paralympics 2024: In Pursuit of Respect and Equality

Workshop Presentation
Daniel Kilvington,  John Price,  Leon Davis,  Lauren Burch,  Desiree Campbell  

As well as excellence, one of the core Olympic values is respect, while one of the foundations of the Paralympic Games is equality. Fine words and concepts - but to what extent do the Games, and activities surrounding them, live up to these ideals? And, if they sometimes fall short, how could these aspirations be better achieved? This workshop presentation draws on our Special Issue for Sport and Society, focusing on the Olympics and Paralympics 2024, and will involve several of our contributing authors. This provides an excellent opportunity to showcase our special issue, but also create wider conversations, dialogue and networks within this space. This workshop presentation thus addresses some of the key questions posed in the special issue by exploring issues of discrimination in relation to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our workshop panel members will discuss their research in relation to disability access for people inside the stadium, the ways in which sports media cover the Games ethically, and the experiences of athletes on social media and how best to protect and support them from abuse. The aim of the workshop is not only to provide critical reflections on these subjects, but to suggest empirically based recommendations for improvements and reform, which will be guided through the question and answer element of the workshop. How can the Games, and those reporting them, be the best versions of themselves in the pursuit of excellence, respect and equality? This will be our key question.