Early Bird registration fee for Dublin’s Athlete Welfare in Sport Conference 2026 still available until April 17
A reduced Early Bird registration fee for the Athlete Welfare in Sport Conference 2026 -“Protecting our Athletes” in Dublin on May 8 is still available until April 17.
The Early Bird price-per-person of €50 switches on April 18 to a price of €75 ahead of the registration deadline of April 30.
Participants are invited to register via the Athlete Welfare in Sport Booking Link: https://www.eaacademy.eu/lms/courses/child-protection-in-sport-conference-2026
The inforrmation bulletin for the event is here: https://europeanaquatics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Info-Bulletin-Athlete-Welfare-in-Sport-Conference-2026-1.pdf
This landmark event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin Airport, is part of EA’s Aquatics Social Responsibility (ASR) initiative, offering a packed schedule of expert-led sessions exploring best practice for ensuring every athlete can work in safe and supportive environments.
“For European Aquatics, safeguarding and athlete welfare are fundamental priorities,” EA President Antonio Silva says in his introduction to the event’s information bulletin, available here:
“This Conference represents an important opportunity for the European aquatics community to come together and reflect on how we continue to strengthen safeguarding practices within our sport, while also learning from the broader sporting community.
“By bringing together national federations, safeguarding experts, athletes and institutional partners, the event will create a valuable platform to exchange experiences, share knowledge and reinforce our collective approach to athlete protection…
“The programme addresses key themes that are highly relevant for aquatic sport today, including recognising and reporting concerns, improving investigative processes, supporting safeguarding officers, and ensuring that the voice and rights of athletes remain central to the systems we build around them.”
The sessions will see influential figures within Europe and the European aquatics community exploring a wide range of important issues.
Paola Ottonello, Team Leader at the European Commission (DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture), will open the session by providing a European perspective, highlighting the EU, the European sports model, and key topics such as safeguarding and athlete protection.
Adam Pennock from Sport Radar will address “Complaint vs Concern,” examining what should come first in protecting athletes and the importance of recognizing a complaint or concern as a potential trigger for investigation.
Mhairi MacLennan from Kyniska Advocacy will present “Beyond the Investigation – How to Make Investigations Safer for Athletes,” exploring investigative processes from a victim’s perspective and outlining the steps that should follow the reporting of concerns.
Kate Hills from Swim Ireland will discuss the role of a safeguarding lead within a federation.
Carlotta Giussani, Director of the EOC EU Office, will provide an update on the EOC Safe Harbour Project.
Athletes, including members of the EA Athlete Committee, will contribute their perspectives, highlighting athlete rights, the pressures of elite sport, and how federations recognize and support athlete identity.
The athlete panel will comprise Tom Fannon (Swimming); Emma Garcia (Artistic Swimming, vice-chair of the EA Athletes Committee); Gráinne Walsh (Boxing); Great Streimikyte (Para Athletics).
Jeanne Lehéricey, representing the Local Organising Committee of the French Federation, will address key considerations in creating safe spaces at events to ensure athletes can compete and participate safely.
Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, Global CEO of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), will present the Universal Standards on Youth Development and Child Protection, developed by an international task force to safeguard children.
A clinical psychologist will be present throughout the event to provide professional support and reinforce the importance of safeguarding and athlete wellbeing.
The afternoon sessions will conclude with an opportunity for questions and answers involving all speakers.
Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics
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