![\"Do](\"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/shared\/human-rights-2694619_1280.jpg\")
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The Olympic Games today represent much more than a global sporting competition. They influence culture, the economy, and social norms worldwide. Yet, one essential question is often overlooked: Are the rights of young athletes\u2014those under 18\u2014adequately protected?<\/p>\n
These young athletes occupy a unique position. They are both high-level competitors and children, with specific needs and vulnerabilities. Their participation in the Games raises major issues. The physical and psychological pressures, the risks of abuse or exploitation, and the challenges related to their education and personal development must be considered. However, the current legal and regulatory frameworks of the International Olympic Committee do not always reflect these realities.<\/p>\n
The existing rules do not explicitly mention children\u2019s rights, as defined by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. This widely ratified convention guarantees essential protections: the right to health, education, protection from violence, and participation in decisions that affect them. Yet, these principles are not systematically integrated into Olympic policies.<\/p>\n
Young athletes are often subjected to intense training, high expectations, and competitive environments that can harm their well-being. Studies show that some experience physical, psychological, or even sexual abuse, sometimes normalized by a sports culture focused on performance at any cost. Their voices and needs are rarely placed at the heart of decisions, even though they should be considered full participants.<\/p>\n
The International Olympic Committee has the power and responsibility to change this situation. By explicitly integrating children\u2019s rights into its regulations, it could establish stricter standards to protect these young athletes. This would include mechanisms to listen to their concerns, adapt rules to their development, and ensure their safety in all aspects of their participation.<\/p>\n
Such a reform would not only be moral progress but also a legal necessity. Children\u2019s rights must not be sidelined, especially in a context where their talent and commitment are celebrated on the world stage. Their protection must become an absolute priority, so that the Olympic Games remain a symbol of excellence and respect for all.<\/p>\n
DOI:<\/strong> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s40318-026-00339-x<\/a><\/p>\n Title:<\/strong> The rights of olympic child athletes: the need for rights-based reform<\/p>\n Journal:<\/strong> The International Sports Law Journal<\/p>\n Publisher:<\/strong> Springer Science and Business Media LLC<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong> Seamus Byrne<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do Young Olympic Athletes Deserve Better Protection of Their Rights? The Olympic Games today represent much more than a global sporting competition. They influence culture, the economy, and social norms worldwide. Yet, one essential question is often overlooked: Are the rights of young athletes\u2014those under 18\u2014adequately protected? These young athletes occupy a unique position. They… Continue reading Do Young Olympic Athletes Deserve Better Protection of Their Rights?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,7,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-human-humanitarian","category-international","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34\/revisions\/35"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}