Research Article: From rhetoric to reality: an empirical audit of athlete-centred governance in the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American games
Abstract:
In contemporary mega-sport events (MSEs), athlete-centred governance has become a dominant rhetorical commitment, yet it is often operationalized through service delivery rather than formal governance structures. Within the stakeholder identification and salience framework, athletes are typically positioned as dependent stakeholders, characterized by high legitimacy and urgency but limited formal power. Despite functioning as prosumers, athletes rarely possess meaningful decision-making authority. This study examines athlete-centred governance by assessing whether the formal integration of an Athlete Advisory Council (AAC) within an MSE is associated with athlete satisfaction. Using a cross-sectional, field-based design, this study examines the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games. A total of 829 athletes representing 42 sports and 29 countries completed the athlete experience questionnaire (AEQ). Strong internal consistency was observed (Cronbach's ? =?.84–.92), and AAC-identified factors were significantly associated with satisfaction ( p <?.001). Multiple regression analysis indicated that governance factors identified by the AAC explained 83.8% of the variance in satisfaction ( p <?.01), with social aspects ( ? =?.575, p <?.001) and communication ( ? =?.324, p <?.001) being the strongest positive predictors. Additionally, findings demonstrate experiential parity across diverse athlete cohorts. Results suggest that formalizing and operationalizing athlete voice within MSE structures is associated with athlete-centredness.
Introduction:
There has been a rising trend for mega-sports events (MSEs) to promote an athlete-centred approach ( 1 – 4 ). However, its application remains inconsistent. Despite widespread adoption, there is limited consensus on how athlete-centredness should be defined or operationalized. Recently, the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Olympic Agenda 2020?+?5 identifies athlete-centredness as inclusive of athlete well-being and safety, while also advocating for the representation of athletes within sport ( 1 , 5 ).…
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