Information bulletin now available for Athlete Welfare in Sport Conference in Dublin on May 8

The information bulletin is now available for the Athlete Welfare in Sport Conference “Protecting our Athletes”, which will take place on May 8 in the Irish capital of Dublin.

This prestigious 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,” says EA President Antonio Silva in his introduction.

“Across all aquatic disciplines, from grassroots participation to elite competition, it is essential that every athlete can train, compete and develop in environments that are safe, respectful and supportive. “Ensuring the protection and wellbeing of athletes is not only a regulatory responsibility but a shared commitment that underpins the integrity and sustainability of sport.

“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.

“I would like to warmly thank Swim Ireland for hosting this important gathering in Dublin and for their commitment to promoting athlete welfare and safeguarding within aquatics and beyond.

“Their leadership in this area helps ensure that the conversation around safeguarding continues to evolve and translate into concrete action.

“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.

“Strengthening these structures is essential to fostering a culture of trust, responsibility and protection throughout our aquatic community.

“I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Swim Ireland, Sport Ireland, Sarah Keane, all speakers, partners and organisers whose expertise and dedication have made this conference possible. Their contributions are instrumental in helping us create safer sporting environments for present and future generations of athletes.”

Mary McMorrow, interim chief executive officer for Swim Ireland, adds: “Ireland is honoured to host this important event, which brings together leaders, practitioners and advocates committed to ensuring sport is a safe, supportive and positive environment for all athletes.

“Athlete welfare is central to the integrity, sustainability and success of sport, and this Conference provides an invaluable opportunity to share knowledge, research and best practice across organisations and nations.”

The sessions will see influential figures within Europe and the European aquatics community exploring a wide range of important issues.

Paola Ottonello, Team Leader – European Commission DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, will present a Welcome and offer a European Perspective highlighting the EU, the European sports model and related topics including safeguarding and athlete protection.

Sport Radar’s Adam Pennock’s topic – Complaint v Concern – identifies what comes first in protecting athletes and he will examine the need to recognise a complaint/concern as a potential investigation.

Mhairi MacLennan of Kyniska Advocacy takes as her theme Beyond the investigation – how we make investigations safer for athletes. She will examine the safety of any investigation from a victim perspective. Having concentrated on reporting concerns, this presentation will go on to look at next steps.

Kate Hills of Swim Ireland will explore the role of a safeguarding lead in a federation.

There will also be an updater from a representative of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Safe Harbour Project.

A member of the EA Athlete Committee will address the topic of input from athletes – recognising the rights of athletes, pressures of being an athlete and how federations acknowledge the athlete identity.

A representative of the LOC French Federation will speak about the considerations for creating a safe space at events for athletes to compete or participate.

A representative of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) will address the topic of Presentation of Universal Standards on Youth Development and Child Protection, as developed by an international task force to safeguard children.

All participants must register and book via the Athlete Welfare in Sport Booking Link: Courses – European Aquatics – Official Learning Center

The deadline for registration to this event is April 30 via the link included in the information bulletin.

The Early Bird price-per-person, for payments up until April 17, is 50 euros. From April 18 the price is 75 euros.

Information bulletin with full details available here: https://europeanaquatics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Info-Bulletin-Athlete-Welfare-in-Sport-Conference-2026-1.pdf

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics

The post Information bulletin now available for Athlete Welfare in Sport Conference in Dublin on May 8 first appeared on European Aquatics®.