AUSTRALIA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Sven Burchartz and Jessica Bell, Kalus Kenny Intelex
Kalus Kenny Intelex Level 1, 4 Riverside Quay
Southbank Melbourne Victoria 3006 Australia
Tel: +613 8825 4800 Fax: +613 9826 9909 Email: sburchartz@kkilawyers.com.au Web: www.kkilawyers.com.au
Introduction Over the past year, existing trends have per - sisted, alongside the emergence of several noteworthy developments within the Australian sports industry. Attention was quickly drawn to the Paris Olym - pics and Paralympics, where a record number of Australian women participated. The 2024 Para - lympics also marked the first games where Aus - tralian para-athletes received the same medal incentive payments as Australia’s able-bodied athletes, with the Australian government also committing a record amount of funding to para- sport as part of Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy. Concussion remained a trending discussion throughout 2024, with more cases being brought against the Australian Football League (AFL) by players. The concussion topic also expanded off the field into non-contact sports such as motor - sport, leading to Motorsport Australia releasing new concussion guidelines in January 2025. The conversations around the participation of women and transgender athletes in sport also continued to take shape in 2024, with female
participation again increasing and trans athletes being further restricted from playing for Austral - ia’s national netball team. Although not without concern from government bodies, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in sport continues to evolve in Australia, with more teams and organisations making use of AI for the betterment of athlete performance and fan engagement opportunities. Finally, after making a commitment to better protecting the public from the dangers associ - ated with gambling advertisements during sport events, in 2024 the Australian government opted to delay its gambling advertising reform legisla - tion due to the complexity of its proposals. The summer Olympics and Paralympics only come around every four years, and with that comes an enormous amount of public support and excitement for athletes who have dedicat - ed their lives to competing at the top level of their sport. For many, however, it also is a stark reminder of the sacrifices that athletes and their families must make to afford to compete. For Olympic and Paralympic Athlete Compensation in the Spotlight
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