- Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University
Infantino’s global game runs on money and power. As they become increasingly concentrated, the possibility for challenging his leadership diminish.
American athletes and officials may get a frosty reception as US-Europe tensions bubble away ahead of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Does evidence support the claim that hosting a soccer World Cup promotes human rights improvements?
As the world’s attention turns to Paris, the French capital is under its strongest-ever security regime ahead of the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee has ruled politically-neutral individual athletes are eligible, but some nations aren’t happy about it.
Is the Albanese government’s decision to bring NBA star Shaquille O'Neal in on Indigenous reform inspired or ‘cultural cringe’?
What FIFA’s leadership still fails to realise is banning Russia does not introduce politics into sports – it removes the stench of it.
Throughout the pandemic, sporting organisations have proven they can organise large-scale events in a safe and responsible way, without mandated vaccines for athletes.
Belarus sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is part of a long history of athletes seeking protection or the chance to start a new life at the Olympics.
Plus, the troubled 1920 Antwerp Olympics and the parallels they have for Tokyo. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.
The IOC was under considerable pressure to host the 1920 games. While a noble goal, it resulted in significant hardships for war-torn Belgium and the athletes themselves.
The NBA stands behind the rights of players to protest. But the league finds itself in a delicate position, trapped between the competing demands of its advertisers, TV partners, owners and players.
The league is facing financial ruin unless it restarts play soon. Yet, even with strict biosecurity measures in place, there are significant questions as to whether it can effectively police itself.
China’s attempts to bully the NBA over political expression might prove to be a lesson in how much the new superpower can throw its weight around.
For years, women footballers have resorted to everything from strikes to lawsuits to fight for gender equity. Why is it taking so long to close the pay gap?
Star basketball players are suffering the fallout from a race scare campaign by politicians from the Liberal party over crimes committed by a small number of young people who came to Australia from South Sudan
Nike has provoked a conservative backlash by using NFL player Colin Kaepernick in its latest campaign. But the move should be applauded.
History shows Olympic Games have only very limited ability to promote peace between warring nations.
Donald Trump’s ill-timed comments on protests by America’s elite athletes have given legitimacy to claims of his racial animus.
Contact Keith for
- General
- Media request
- Speaking request
- Consulting / Advising
- Research collaboration
- Research supervision
- Location: Sydney
- X (formerly Twitter): @keithrathbone
- Article Feed
- ORCID
- Joined

















