The voice of athletes were heard in other ways, forcing sport to stop, think, and confront highly uncomfortable issues.
Since the 2016 Rio Games, British sport had been hit by a series of athlete welfare and bullying scandals. The most damaging crisis however, was still to come, with British Gymnastics engulfed by a torrent of allegations of mistreatment in the sport, including by some of its biggest names, from Amy Tinkler to Nile Wilson.
An independent review was launched, the sport’s chief executive stepped down, athletes threatened to sue the governing body, and questions were once again raised about the culture presided over by UK Sport.
It is too early to judge the funding agency’s recent shift in approach, vowing to win “in the right way”, and to invest in sports more reflective of modern society. But it felt like a hugely important moment in the evolution of British sport after so many years of success tainted by controversy.
Football’s dementia crisis intensified, especially after the death of sufferer Nobby Stiles, and fellow England legend Sir Bobby Charlton’s diagnosis with the condition. Under mounting pressure over the way they have handled one of the biggest challenges facing the sport, football’s authorities will now consider further restrictions on heading, and the introduction of permanent concussion substitutes.
News of a potentially seismic joint legal action by a group of former rugby players claiming the sport’s authorities failed to protect them from head injuries, and the shock revelation by England World Cup winner Steve Thompson that he was among those with early onset dementia, reinforced the sense of a moment of reckoning for contact sports over concussion.
Amid talk of multi-million pound compensation payouts, the risk was not just to sports’ finances, but also to their reputations. Despite the undoubted health and cultural benefits of such contact sports, if safety fears persist, the threat could be existential.
However this sad story ends, if they are to convince future generations to play, sports are clearly going to have to invest more in the research of brain injuries, tighten protocols, and modify rules, while trying to retain what makes them special.
