The Missed Opportunity: Mediation’s Untapped Potential in International Sport

Mediation in sport has long been recognised as a process aligned with the values of fairness, respect, and integrity that underpin athletic competition, yet its practical use remains limited. This article explores why mediation—despite its proven success in other sectors—has yet to gain meaningful traction within international sports dispute resolution. Drawing on original empirical research with twenty-three senior mediators across ten jurisdictions, it provides the first practitioner-based snapshot of mediation’s role in sport today. The findings reveal a field rich in expertise but constrained by low case volumes, weak referral pathways, and entrenched adversarial culture. Settlement rates of around sixty-five per cent on the day and eighty per cent within a month confirm mediation’s effectiveness where it is used. The analysis identifies three core themes: sport-suitability, the need for tailored procedural design, and the systemic value of mediation within sport’s governance architecture. The article also considers whether mediation might complement formal adjudication in disciplinary and doping matters through structured facilitation and restorative processes. It concludes that mediation already works in sport—it is the system around it that must evolve to embed it more fully within the international sporting order.