Trust and Risk in Sports | Professor Richard McLaren

To understand how fundamental trust is to athletic competition, you only need to look at some of the metaphors we use every day. “Level playing field,” “fair play,” “a good call.” We use sports as a lens for our understanding of what equality looks like.
Sports is also a huge global industry, with billions of dollars in play, and people around the world watching athletes compete in events they believe to be regulated, fair, and honest. How do you keep sports competitive, entertaining, and profitable while making sure everyone is playing fair?
This episode examines risks at the highest level of sport and the role that trust plays for athletes, organizations, and fans.
00:01:54 How Professor Richard McLaren became a foremost thinker and doer in sports integrity?
00:02:40 What are the challenges in the world of anti-doping for regulators?
00:04:41 How does the current performance-enhancing drug testing system work?
00:05:55 Frustrations within the testing system for Richard McLaren
00:08:38 The potential in technology like voice analytics for screening athletes
00:12:30 What does trust look like across the whole athletic system?
00:16:34 The increasing worth of sports nationally and how that impacts cheating
00:19:46 Professor McLaren’s appearance in Icarus and his experience at the Oscars
00:21:25 McLaren's investigation and findings into Russian boxing doping scandal
00:25:42 A more holistic approach to codes of conduct and assessing risk in sports