Move over Olympians, Australia’s wildlife are incredible athletes
Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University 00:29 on 23 September, 2024
Have you ever paused to think about the athletic abilities of Australian wildlife? Let’s look at some of our best competitors and how might they fare in a contest against humans and overseas entrants.What makes an Italian? An olympic gold medal and a vandalised mural reopen debate about race and citizenship
Victoria Donnaloja, Early Career Leverhulme Fellow, Department of Sociology, University of Essex 16:57 on 17 September, 2024
Like hundreds of thousands of others, Paola Egonu only became an Italian citizen as a teenager despite being born there.Online public shaming of women athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics highlights gender-based violence
Gretchen Kerr, Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto 15:31 on 12 September, 2024
To achieve more diverse and inclusive sport environments, it is essential to prevent and appropriately respond to gender-based violence, including incidents of online public shaming.Four reasons the UK should bid for the 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Mathew Dowling, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Sport Management, Loughborough University 15:43 on 6 September, 2024
As sport researchers, we meticulously study international sporting events, focusing on their impacts and legacies.How to reduce the prohibitive cost of sports wheelchairs to make sport more inclusive
Timothy Whitehead, Associate Dean Impact, Senior Lecturer in Product Design, Aston University 16:13 on 2 September, 2024
Many of the 80 million wheelchair users worldwide will never have had a chance to play wheelchair sports. My research seeks to change that.What a ‘forgotten’ Torres Strait Island Paralympian teaches us about representation, achievement and history
Alistair Harvey, UQ Amplify Research Fellow, The University of Queensland 03:27 on 2 September, 2024
Harry Mosby won a silver medal for Australia at the 1976 Paralympics. It has only recently come to light how significant that achievement was.A new campaign aims to tackle period stigma to keep girls and women playing sports
Sarah Zipp, Associate Professor, Bolte School of Business, Mount Saint Mary's University 22:27 on 29 August, 2024
There remains a glaring lack of structural support and policies to address the ways menstrual health impacts women’s and girls’ participation in sports at all levels, from grassroots to elite.The Paris Olympics celebrated the gender-equal games. The picture isn’t so rosy for women Paralympians
Georgia Munro-Cook, Research Fellow in Sport and Disability, Griffith University 01:35 on 28 August, 2024
Just 19% of women with disability are regularly involved in organised sport, which is a big concern nine years before the Brisbane Paralympics.What challenges do Paralympic athletes face compared to their Olympic peers?
Dan van den Hoek, Senior Lecturer, Clinical Exercise Physiology, University of the Sunshine Coast 00:22 on 27 August, 2024
Many Paralympic athletes have overcome significant obstacles to reach Paris, including funding, accessibility and high-performance training.Social media accelerates trolling – just look at Raygun. How can we stop viral moments from spiralling?
David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University 04:44 on 22 August, 2024
Social media algorithms, anonymity and viral culture combine to amplify online abuse. To combat trolling, everyone must work together.What makes Brisbane 2032 different from Paris and the rest? A ‘climate-positive’ Olympics plan for lasting benefits
Ali Cheshmehzangi, Head of School, School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Queensland 20:34 on 18 August, 2024
Brisbane is aiming to be the first Olympic Games host to make carbon savings greater than the emissions the event produces. That’s easier said than done, so what’s the plan to achieve this goal?Balancing the narrative: Celebrating Olympic mothers without losing sight of the postpartum struggle
Iris Lesser, Assistant Professor in Kinesiology, University of The Fraser Valley 11:41 on 18 August, 2024
We can appreciate the exceptional performance of mothers in the Olympics, while also recognizing the challenges faced by mothers and the need for realistic role models of postpartum physical activity.Why aren’t the Olympics and Paralympics combined into one Games? The reasoning goes beyond logistics
Laura Misener, Professor & Director, School of Kinesiology, Western University 14:44 on 15 August, 2024
Olympic host cities must maintain the momentum from the Olympics and ensure Paralympic athletes receive the recognition they deserve for their sporting successes.How Paris 2024 became the most memed Olympics ever
Naomi Smith, Lecturer in Sociology, University of the Sunshine Coast 20:09 on 14 August, 2024
Between Snoop Dogg’s antics, a muffin-obsessed swimmer and the coolest sharpshooter in the world, this year’s games delivered viral moments in spades.Mental health after the Olympics: why so many athletes struggle to adapt to normal life after big competitions
Juan González-Hernández, Professor and Researcher on Personality, Sport and Health Psychology, Universidad de Granada 13:47 on 14 August, 2024
26.4% of elite athletes experience serious mental health problems after retirement.Raygun is now Australia’s most famous dancer. What does she reveal about our own attitudes towards dance?
Jeanette Mollenhauer, Honorary Fellow (Dance), Faculty of Fine Arts & Music, The University of Melbourne 20:29 on 13 August, 2024
Raygun has forced us to focus on many aspects of dance that are often ignored in Australia, including the role of dance in communities and the politics of dance.Why is an ultimate goal called a ‘Holy Grail?’
Joanne M. Pierce, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross 12:22 on 12 August, 2024
Several threads, including pre-Christian mythology, veneration of relics in Christian tradition, and medieval literature, have combined over the centuries into the Holy Grail metaphor of today.The major factors behind Australia’s surge to a record-breaking Olympics
Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania 05:04 on 12 August, 2024
Australian athletes reached new heights at the Paris Olympics but what was behind the record-breaking medal haul?Have the Paris Olympics cracked the code of the circular economy?
Anna Gerke, Associate Professor in Management, Audencia 09:49 on 11 August, 2024
The Paris 2024 Olympics Games are the first Olympics organisation committee to have appointed a Circular Economy Officer.Paris Olympics 2024: under immense pressure to win, athletes need to practise self-compassion
Katie Sparks, Lecturer of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Staffordshire University 13:43 on 9 August, 2024
After years of training, focus and preparation, losing can be a devastating experience for athletes, so they need to develop a coping strategy – self-compassion is a good place to start.We ranked all 34 Olympic sports by sustainability – here’s the leaderboard
Thomas Cuckston, Professor of Accounting and Ecology, University of Birmingham 13:43 on 9 August, 2024
The IOC asked every sport to prepare a sustainability strategy, and some are much better than others.‘Olympic comedown’ is a common ailment after the games – here’s what it is and how athletes cope
Helen Owton, Lecturer in Sport and Fitness, Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, The Open University School of Education, Childhood, Youth & Sport, The Open University 12:09 on 9 August, 2024
Olympic depression is common ailment for athletes post-competition.Why Olympic success can come at the cost of mental health for youth athletes
Lisa O'Halloran, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Nottingham Trent University 12:09 on 9 August, 2024
Competing in the Olympics might be considered the pinnacle of any athletic career, but there may be a dark side for young sportspeople peaking so early on the world stage.Paris Games herald a new anti-corruption era, but carrying the torch may pose an Olympic challenge for the US
Andy Spalding, Professor of Law, University of Richmond 09:49 on 9 August, 2024
France’s distinctive anti-corruption legal framework made possible an Olympics free from major corruption scandals.The Paris Olympics horse-whipping scandal shows the dangers of ‘Disneyfication’ in horse sports
Susan Hopkins, Lecturer in Communication, University of Southern Queensland 03:05 on 9 August, 2024
A controversy involving one of the world’s best dressage riders highlights the need for more protection of horses in equestrian sports.Paralympics showcase high-tech prosthetics, but for many people with limb loss, access to prostheses looks quite different
Alfiya Battalova, Assistant Professor in Justice Studies, Royal Roads University 16:20 on 17 September, 2024
The role of prosthetic devices in the lives of people with limb loss cannot be overestimated. But acquiring prosthetic limbs can be challenging and expensive for patients.Too many disabled young people are missing out on PE – here’s how that could change
Janine Coates, Senior Lecturer in Qualitative Research Methods, Loughborough University 12:58 on 12 September, 2024
Too often, disabled children are not afforded the same opportunities as their peersIf we truly want our Paralympic athletes to shine, their coaches need more support
Andrew Bennie, Associate Professor, Health and Physical Education/Sport Development, Western Sydney University 02:44 on 9 September, 2024
Other nations have begun to invest more seriously in para sports, which may be a sign Australia needs to invest more in coaches of future Paralympians.Why the Paralympics ‘inclusive’ messaging is misleading
P. David Howe, Professor, Western University 19:40 on 8 September, 2024
While the Paralympics enhance visibility for athletes, its use of inclusivity can mislead the public and overshadow other important disability sports and grassroots initiatives.Useless spies save Britain in the brilliant Slow Horses – what you should watch, listen to and read this week
Naomi Joseph, Arts + Culture Editor 15:43 on 6 September, 2024
A funny spy thriller, a classic album, a blockbuster feminist exhibition, a good book about a bad childhood and the end of our summer of sportWho are the greatest Paralympians of all time?
Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania 01:24 on 6 September, 2024
Thousands of elite athletes have made it to the Paralympics Games. But who are the greatest Paralympians? And how would you decide?Paris is adding another page to Paralympic history but what will its legacy be?
Simon Darcy, Professor of Social Inclusion - UTS Business School - Co-Lead UTS Disability Research Network - Australian Centre for Olympic and Sport Studies - Centre for Sport, Business and Society, University of Technology Sydney 04:11 on 4 September, 2024
The Paralympics have evolved from an archery competition between hospital wards to a global mega-event, but what will the Paris legacy be?Paris 2024 Paralympics in pictures
Matt Garrow, Editorial Web Developer 06:02 on 2 September, 2024
The best pictures from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.Technology has helped para athletes compete for decades. But it can also create an unfair advantage
John Cairney, Professor and Head of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences; Director, The Queensland Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies, The University of Queensland 06:29 on 30 August, 2024
While technology presents challenges around fairness, it also offers solutions.The Paralympics can be an economic boon for host cities – and leave a unique legacy
Kirsten Holmes, Professor, School of Management and Marketing, Curtin University 06:06 on 30 August, 2024
The Olympic and Paralympic games have been awarded to host cities in tandem since the early 2000s. But hosting the Paralympics can bring a city unique benefits that long outlast the games.Why sport must be (re)imagined in ways that make it more accessible for all disabled athletes
Jennifer Mooradian, Doctoral Candidate, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Department of Sport Management, Brock University 20:23 on 28 August, 2024
If sport is for everyone, sport must be (re)imagined in ways that make it more accessible for all bodies. We have an ethical responsibility to change sport to make it meaningfully inclusive for all.Classifications, history and Australian hopes: what to expect at the Paris Paralympics
Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania 20:18 on 28 August, 2024
As Paris prepares to host the Paralympic Games, you may be wondering how classification works, which Aussies to watch, or whether there any sports unique to the Paralympics.When Paralympic athletes fake the extent of their disability
Jaime Schultz, Professor of Kinesiology, Penn State 12:33 on 28 August, 2024
Parasports couldn’t exist without classifying competitors by their physical and mental limitations. But the process is far from perfect, and a handful of athletes have tried to game the system.Paralympic classification isn’t just a way to organize sports – it also affects athletes’ experience
Janet Lawson, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba 19:17 on 27 August, 2024
The classification system is meant to ensure all athletes have a fair and equitable chance at achieving success. However, for some athletes, the process of getting classified can itself be damaging.Break dancing used to pride itself on inclusivity – so why is it in the Olympic Games but not the Paralympics?
Simon Hayhoe, Associate Professor of Special Educational Needs, Disability & Inclusion, University of Exeter 11:48 on 2 August, 2024
Break dance can help with balance and teach ways to fall safely, both of which are helpful for people with visual impairments.Despair after four years of pressure: how do Olympians deal with disappointment?
Christopher Mesagno, Senior Lecturer - Sport and Exercise Psychology, Research Fellow - Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University 02:14 on 1 August, 2024
Athletes can spend four years preparing for an Olympic or Paralympic games. For those who don’t achieve their goals, the disappointment can be crushing.Surviving the Olympiczzzzz: how fans can best cope with sleep deprivation during major overseas events
Shona Halson, Associate professor, school of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University 01:40 on 25 July, 2024
Many sports fans will suffer sleep deprivation as they stay up to watch the Olympics but there are ways to minimise it and bounce back after the closing ceremony.People with disability know bodies can be funny – so it’s OK that you’re laughing at the Paralympics TikTok account
Shane Clifton, Associate Professor of Practice, School of Health Sciences and the Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney 20:22 on 23 July, 2024
The genius TikTok account for the Paralympics draws on the comedic beauty of disabled bodies. It is a relief to see a promotion of the Paralympics that avoids the usual stereotypes.Brand Olympics: do the famous rings deliver value to host countries?
Steven Greenland, Professor in Marketing, Charles Darwin University 02:26 on 18 July, 2024
What makes the Olympics’ five rings such a powerful brand, and do they deliver value for host nations?
