Protecting the athlete: somehow, in the excitement of sports performance, the needs of the athlete as a person beyond their sporting prowess can become secondary to the demands and expectations of the media and management. The British Olympic Association's (BOA) position statement on athlete confidentiality is timely in reminding us of the rights of athletes: representing your country does not mean that your country owns you. Nor do athletes have to sacrifice their rights to personal, confidential, medical, and scientific care simply because they are successful athletes. The demands of management are increasing. The demands of the media are insatiable. It is too easy to allow the lines demarcating personal and public information to become fuzzy.

The BOA …