Athlete representation and rules for transgender athletes tackled at LawAccord

February 16, 2024

Karen Sweaney

Topical legal issues confronting International Federations including athlete representation, rules for transgender athletes in international sport and how to ensure integrity in decision-making will be tackled by legal experts as they come together at LawAccord, one of the four specialist streams at this year’s SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit.

There will also be an opportunity to get the inside track on institutional developments, with a presentation and Q&A session from Matthieu Reeb, Director General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport; and Ross Wenzel, General Counsel at the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Sports Law Practice Group from Swiss law firm Kellerhals Carrard will provide an update on recent decisions from the European Court of Justice.

Sport’s most influential industry gathering will take place from 7th to 11th April in Birmingham – West Midlands and bring together more than 1,500 leaders and key decision makers from over 120 International Federations, the International Olympic Committee and organisations involved in the business of sport.

Hear from sports law experts, including Áine Power, Deputy Legal Director at the International Equestrian Federation, who will share insights on involving athletes when drafting rules: “The ‘best’ rules are those that are formulated and drafted further to thorough consultation with the relevant stakeholders. It goes without saying that athletes are the key stakeholders in our sport - no athletes, no sport. Therefore, it is essential that we hear from the athletes as part of the rule revision process, it helps us ensure that our rules are fit for purpose.”

Prof Yannis Pitsiladis, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at Hong Kong Baptist University and member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission, will provide a scientific perspective on regulating the participation of transgender athletes in elite sport: "Establishing policy for the inclusion of transgender athletes in elite sport is immensely challenging due to the need for a fair and non-discrimination policy of integration (inclusion), while considering physiological differences, hormone treatments and sport-specific demands, requiring nuanced assessments amidst our evolving scientific understanding.”

Tanja Haug, Board Member of the Biathlon Integrity Unit will address the need for independent decision-making in international sport: “In sport, independent models are needed in all areas where integrity is at stake - where adherence to ethical values, unbiased decision-making, avoidance of conflicts of interest, accountability and transparency are crucial to ensure good governance and protect athletes and the future of sport. This applies in particular to the areas of anti-doping, safeguarding, competition manipulation, anti-corruption, vetting and election monitoring.”

For the full list of speakers and topics please see the LawAccord programme

The delegate pass for World Sport & Business Summit 2024 is available. Click here to register now. https://register.event-works.com/sportaccord/birmingham2024/e/ce/

A special one-day rate is available to legal practitioners who wish to attend LawAccord only. If you are interested to attend, please email at lawaccord@sportaccord.sport

About the author

Karen Sweaney

Co-founder and Editor, Australasian Leisure Management

Artist, geoscientist and specialist writer on the leisure industry, Karen Sweaney is Editor and co-founder of Australasian Leisure Management.

Based in Sydney, Australia, her specific areas of interest include the arts, entertainment, the environment, fitness, tourism and wellness.

She has degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Sydney and Geological Oceanography from UNSW.

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