Dear all,
Last week the following items were published on idrottsforum.org (see below; language and publication dates, YYMMDD, in brackets). Click on the red headings to go to content. Utilize the Google Translate service to turn Scandinavian language pages into (some sort of) English.
And remember, if you’re not already hooked up to one of the social media outlets that we utilize, for now they are Facebook, LinkedIn and X, you’re missing quite a lot of information from idrottsforum.org that never appears on the website; this week no less than 48 updates on each, the same on all three. So, if that is the case, check out, by clicking on the names, our Facebook, LinkedIn and X accounts.
Have a great week,
Kjell Eriksson
Editor
Feature Article
“Hospitals Not Stadiums”: Power Games and the Brisbane Olympics
And the winner is… Brisbane! The Games of the XXXV Olympiad will be played out in Brisbane, Australia, in 2032. The decision was made in Tokyo in July 2021, with Brisbane as the only bidder and the first to win unopposed since Los Angeles won the bid for 1984. And with the longest time, 11 years, to get everything in shape for the Games. In his feature article, Jim McKay tells what happened then, and it’s a story of dirty politics, broken promises, and skyrocketing costs for the Games that will be borne by the taxpayers. Maybe not an unusual story to come out of arranging the Olympic Games… (Published in English 261026.
Book Reviews
This big book of boxing ends in a split decision
Boxing, sometimes called the noble art of self-defence, is the world’s oldest contact sport, and its history has been explored in a multitude of books. In his own attempt, 97 Fights: A History of Modern Boxing (Reaktion Books), John Sutherland chronicles 97 bouts, aiming to capture the essence of boxing and its history. Our reviewer Łukasz Muniowski observes that he does so with a tone of poetry and pathos, with emotion and passion. Muniowsky also detects various editorial, logical and factual errors, some of which he details. Nevertheless, our reviewer considers Sutherland’s book a welcome addition to the literature on boxing. (Review in English, published 261027.)
Beyond Biology? Sex, Gender Identity and the Politics of Sporting Classification
Sex, Gender Identity and Sport (Routledge), edited by Cathy Devine, addresses the highly contentious debate surrounding sex-based categories in competitive sport. The volume advocates that preserving these categories is essential for ensuring fair competition. In this high-quality review, Alexis Sossa concludes that the book is most valuable not as a definitive resolution to the transgender sports debate, but as a provocation regarding the politics of bodily classification. While its explicitly partisan orientation and tendency to dismiss opposing perspectives as “ideology” leave complex empirical and normative questions unresolved, its enduring contribution lies in insisting that sports politics are inextricably bound to body politics. (Review in English, published 261029.)
Scholarly Journals
Since its inception 23 years ago, idrottsforum.org has been proudly presenting every new issue of almost all scholarly journals within the field of sport studies, widely defined. However, after carefully considering the whole situation – with increasing number of journals and number of issues per journal – we have decided to let go of the original ambition; it has become too time-consuming. Henceforth we will publish alerts about new journal issues on our social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn and X), and also special alerts when particularly interesting articles in scholarly journals are published online, giving priority to open access publications. The Scholarly Journals page will list all journals within the extended sport studies field for your information, and we will endeavor to update it with any new titles being launched.
News items (calls for papers, vacancies, etc.)
- Call for Participation | “Beyond Access: Rethinking Accessibility at Major Sport Events”, CCSE Talk | Free online seminar, November 4, 2026, 2:00pm to 3:00pm (UK Time) (261028)
- What’s happening to sport scholarship at the University of Copenhagen? A call for intervention (261028)
- Call for Participation | The Steiner Sports Communication Research Conference, online via Zoom | November 6, 2026, from 19:00-22:00 (CET) (261028)
- Call for Papers | Breaking Barriers 2027: Sport, Inclusion and Social Change | Weetwood Hall Estate, Leeds, July 29, 2027. Call ends January 31, 2027 (261028)
- Call for Papers | Gender and Professional Sports: Intersectional Perspectives, Special Issue of Gender, Work and Organization | Call ends February 1, 2027 (261030)
