Gold Medals & Grey Areas

A blog on sports law, athletics, geography, and everything in between!

At first glance, anti-doping rules in sport are clear as day: either you take substances on the banned list and are a cheat, or you abide by the laws and are clean. The reality is far more complex than that. Behind every gold medal there is a whole world of grey: substances that are legal out of competition but banned when competing, actions that seemingly go against the ‘spirit of sport’ but abide by the letter of the law, and therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) that allow athletes to freely take substances that are otherwise banned.

In this blog, I am aiming to explain some of the key issues and cases surrounding doping in sports (mainly athletics) in a clear and concise way, avoiding the jargon that can sometimes make complex and important issues incomprehensible!

I’ll also be looking beyond anti-doping to discuss other key sports law issues. The commercial side of sport is growing both in terms of value and complexity, meaning sports lawyers now play central roles off the field that can directly impact the progress of play on it. From analysing the commercial and regulatory structures of global sport governance models, to navigating the challenges of sports acquisitions and investment, this blog aims to break down the legal mechanisms of sport.

About the author

I’m a University of Cambridge geography graduate and future trainee solicitor. I’ve recently finished a research MPhil in legal geographies at Cambridge, and am currently studying for the Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE).

My MPhil research looked at stakeholder perceptions of the anti-doping system, to try and understand what’s working, what isn’t, and why. I also looked more broadly at the effectiveness of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s attempts to enact and enforce laws across borders, exploring how and why National Anti-Doping Organisations comply (or fail to) with the WADA Code. The title of my thesis was: ‘Levelling the global playing field: Exploring stakeholder perceptions of the fight against doping in sport‘.

I am particularly interested in the so-called ‘grey areas’ of doping in sport, and the factors that influence athletes’ perceptions of clean sport beyond the letter of the law. I am also interested in the interplay of different anti-doping organisations, and whether stakeholders have genuine faith that the system is catching athletes who cheat.

I’m a competitive runner, competing in cross country and athletics for Reading AC.

Contact

I am keen to discuss anti-doping and other sports law issues on radio/news channels, having recently contributed to LBC News regarding the Enhanced Games. Please email me if you are interested in arranging this.

Email: james@renniefamily.net

Twitter/X: @james_1871

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