World Athletics moves to protect 25 athletes from online abuse

Following the release of findings from a four-year report analysing online abuse in athletics, World Athletics has offered 25 athletes year-round AI protection on their social media platforms.
Valerie Adams, Chair of the World Athletics Athletes' Commission, advised that the athletes, each of when were targeted by cyber bullying during and after major recent events, would be provide with tools to protect themselves online to help them feel more comfortable competing.
While World Athletics did not detail how the AI protection would operate, it is often used to identify potential security threats and filter out inappropriate content on social media.
Among findings in the World Athletics commissioned four-year study into online abuse in the sport - using Signify Group's Threat Matrix service - during the Paris Olympics, two athletes received 82% of all the abuse recorded by World Athletics.
The study monitored online activity during the Olympics in 2021 and 2024, and the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Of the more than 350,000 posts captured for analysis during the Paris 2024 Olympics on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, 809 were verified as abusive, 18% of them racist, 13% sexual in nature, and 17% sexist. Two athletes received 82% of all the abuse.
Explaining the international federation’s actions, Adams (pictured) stated “competing at a global championship is one of the greatest pinnacles of most athletes’ careers, but it does create added pressures.
"Social media is a great way to connect with fans and share event experiences, and for many athletes is also an important tool to build their brand and fulfil sponsor requirements, but when anonymous trolls online send abusive messages or harass athletes in their own comment sections, it can sour their experience and many athletes choose to switch off their accounts during those major milestone moments.
“World Athletics’ work in this space is vitally important as many athletes don’t know how to react when they see or receive abusive comments online, or what measures they can put in place to protect themselves before they enter the spotlight.
“The more we continue to educate athletes on safeguarding measures, the more athletes will feel comfortable flying the flag for their countries and their sport - on the field of play, and online.”
Three out of the top five abused athletes from the 2023 world championships in Budapest also featured in the top five most targeted athletes at the Paris Olympics.
Approximately 240,000 posts were captured for analysis from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were held in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, with 132 of them verified as abusive, with 63% of them aimed at two female athletes.
Social media analysis of the 2023 world championships in the Hungarian capital of Budapest showed 35% of the abuse was racist, a 12-times increase from the world championships a year earlier in US city of Eugene, Oregon.
Images credits: Shutterstock (top) and Athletics New Zealand (below).
Related Articles
18th December 2024 - World Athletics publishes concerning findings from four-year analysis into online abuse
20th November 2024 - World Athletics video highlight impacts of climate change on sport
22nd July 2024 - World Athletics launches Athletics Rush fan engagement tool
15th April 2024 - World Athletics looks for ticketing partner for Tokyo 2025 Championships
10th April 2024 - World Athletics to become first international federation to award prize money at Olympic Games
9th March 2024 - World Athletics advises of success of #WeGrowAthletics campaign in campaign report card
29th February 2024 - Beijing selected as host for 2027 World Athletics Championships
26th January 2024 - World Athletics and Sony sign new sponsorship agreement
1st December 2023 - World Athletics survey reveals 75% of athletes directly impacted by climate change
27th October 2023 - World Athletics Athletes’ Commission elects Valerie Adams as Chair
12th July 2023 - World Athletics questions European Court of Human Rights decision on Caster Semenya
22nd May 2023 - World Athletics’ Sustainable Event Management System gains ISO 20121 certification
25th April 2023 - World Athletics releases toolkit to encourage children to get active on Kids’ Athletics Day 2023
24th March 2023 - World Athletics announces ban on transgender women competing in female world ranking events
19th March 2023 - World Athletics moves towards gender equity in 2023
15th July 2022 - Tokyo announced as host of 2025 World Athletics Championships
27th April 2022 - World Athletics to celebrate new Kids’ Athletics Day on 7th May
25th March 2022 - Dame Valerie Adams named as ambassador for Snap Fitness New Zealand
22nd March 2022 - World Athletics President warns that transgender athletes pose risk to integrity of women’s sport
22nd March 2022 - Singapore looks to host 2025 World Athletics Championships
29th November 2021 - World Athletics publishes study into online abuse of athletes at the Tokyo Olympics
16th December 2020 - World Athletics announces new media rights agreement with Wanda Sports Group’s Infront