Australian Law Reforms Commission

The ALRC has just published its 1,000 page report on the legal aspects of using genetic information, 'Essentially Yours'. One entire section of this is dedicated to considering the legal/ethical aspects of how genetic info might be used in sport. The central concerns are whether sports authorities would be entitled to request such information and how it might be used as a way of excluding genetically risky people from participation. The report also highlights the prospect of identifying 'performance genes' and how these might also lead to new methods of talent identification. Selecting the next generation of elite winners might soon be based on a genetic profile rather than going out and watching kids play.