About

As an Athlete, you have a responsibility to know the rules, ignorance is not excuse. Protect your career, your hard-work, your sport. Find out more about competition manipulation to make sure you make the right decision.

Competition manipulation is when athletes cheat by losing on purpose or by not doing their best in a competition.

Officials or coaches can also manipulate a competition, by deliberately making wrong decisions.

Competition manipulation kills the spirit of sport. What’s the point if the game is fixed in advance?

Integrity
Why people manipulate ?

Always do your best.
Never lose on purpose.

You may be tempted to underperform in order to face an easier opponent later in a competition. This is competition manipulation, and it is subject to sanctions. It kills the spirit of sport; displays a lack of respect for yourself, your team, your opponents and your fans; and can lead to punishments and loss of sponsorship – as well as damage to your reputation.

Would you lose on purpose? Cheating to win is well understood, but deliberately losing a competition, or part of it, is also cheating. This is called competition manipulation. It can have serious consequences for your career and sporting dreams.

Always be careful with betting.
Never bet on your own sport or the Olympic Games.

Money can also be a motivating factor behind manipulating a competition. You could be asked or bribed to do so. You could be tempted to manipulate a competition in order to win a bet and earn money. Therefore you should never bet on your sport, nor ask someone to do it for you.

No sport is safe from betting-related manipulation. Bets are placed on athletes of all nationalities and on all Olympic sports, especially during the Games. Make sure you know the rules and respect them to safeguard your career and your reputation.

Always be aware of what you share.
Never reveal insider information.

To protect yourself and your sport, be careful with inside information. What seems common knowledge for you may be a gold mine for someone wanting to place a bet on your competition. Insight about injuries, mental health, tactics or management plans can be misused to place a bet. Therefore, non-public information about your sport must stay private. Everything that is discussed in the locker room and within your immediate team must not be shared. Be careful with social media.

Sometimes the first step into competition manipulation is being asked by someone else to cheat or provide insider information. Watch this video to find out how such an approach can happen.

Always report suspicious behaviour.
Never feel pressure not to.

If you have reasons to suspect a case of competition manipulation or if you witness an approach to fix an event, it is your duty to report it. Please click the link below and complete the International Olympic Committee reporting form.

Integrity
How I was asked to cheat
We have a responsibility to be true to ourselves and be true to our sport.
Jenny Dahlgren
Athletics
Argentina & Believe in Sport ambassador
Make the Right Decision

Take the prevention of competition manipulation quiz to find out. What you share especially on social media may be misused to place a bet! Think twice before you share.

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LEARNING
Crossing the line

Improve your knowledge and discover each aspect of the manipulation of competitions with the following material. This course will guide you through different topics such as cheating, betting, inside information and the obligation to report.

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LEARNING
Preventing Competition Manipulation

Competition manipulation has become one of the major threats to the credibility and integrity of sport. It can happen in any sport, in any country. In this e‐learning, you will learn more about competition manipulation and how to handle different situations in order to protect yourself and your sport.

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LEARNING
Prevention of competition manipulation for athletes in boxing

In this e‐learning, you will learn more about competition manipulation and how to handle different situations in order to protect yourself and your sport. The course takes about 10 minutes and is available in 10 languages.

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Believe in Sport educational toolbox

This toolbox was designed to raise interest and awareness about the topic amongst the different actors of the sports movement. All sports organisations and coaches are strongly encouraged to spread the word and widely diffuse the different tools in their respective network.

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Olympic.org
Believe in Sport

What is it?

Further information and details on how the IOC is protecting clean athletes, keeping sport fair and tackling competition manipulation.

How does it help Athletes?

As the manipulation of sports competitions has become an area of great concern in recent years, the IOC remains committed to fighting all forms of cheating.
Resources

Want to know more about about prevention of competition manipulation? We have compiled useful athletes resources for further reading.

Resource
Prevention of Competition Manipulation Code of Conduct
pdf
This document defines a framework of ethical principles, including a Code of Ethics.
Download
Resource
Who Would Lose on Purpose?
pdf
Find out more about who loses on purpose and why it happens with our flyer.
Download
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