Recent Lectures

22nd Annual Earle F. Zeigler Lecture 2011

Laura Robinson: "Sexual Violence and the Olympic Games"

On October 28, 2011, journalist Laura Robinson delivered the 22nd Annual Earle F. Zeigler Lecture, examining the problematic of "Sexual Violence and the Olympic Games" during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Vancouver's Women Against Violence Against Women reported a spike in the number of women requesting their accompaniment for hospital administered "rape kits" in the 24-hours after the Canadian men's hockey team won Olympic gold. During the Stanley Cup play-offs in April and May 2011, police reported sexual offenses sky-rocketed again. While these statistics come from the Vancouver Police Dept, and were available to the police, the city, the province and VANOC--the Olympic organizing committee, increased sexual violence against women is not listed, recognized or mentioned in any of their glowing reports on the Olympics, or in reviews on the Stanley Cup play-offs and subsequent riots. When questioned about this practice, the Vancouver Police Department, VANOC, Hockey Canada, the IIHF, and the federal Ministry of Public Safety safeguarded information that should have been widely available to the public. Why, once again, has systemic and systematic violence against women been ignored in Vancouver, especially as British Columbia commences the Missing Women's Inquiry?

Laura Robinson is a former member of the Canadian cycling team and former Canadian rowing champion. She was the first Canadian journalist to write about sexual abuse and harassment in sport. In 1993 she worked with CBC's the Fifth Estate on an exposé of sexual assault by coaches in Canadian sport. The work won the Investigative Researchers and Editor's Award for best investigative work in North America. Her book, Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada's National Sport (1998) changed public perceptions of hockey. In 2002 she won the International Play the Game Award in Copenhagen, Denmark for her research on sexual violence in hockey. In 2008 her film, FrontRunners, which connected sports to Canadian colonialism and Indigenous people, won Best Live Short at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco. In 2010, she won the "Debwewin" (Truth Citation) Award from the Anishinabek Nation Union of Ontario Indians for her work addressing racial inequities on Canada's Olympic teams. She is the coach of the Anishinaabe Nordic Racers at Cape Croker First Nation Elementary School.

Information on Earle F. Zeigler's life and academic achievements is provided here.

Past Lectures

21st Annual J. Howard Crocker Olympic Studies Lecture 2011

John J. MacAloon (University of Chicago): "The Olympic Games Candidature Process through the Lens of Chcicago 2016"

On March 25, 2011, Professor John J. MacAloon delivered the 21st J. Howard Crocker Olympic Studies Lecture. Professor MacAloon shared insights and behind-the-scenes experiences gained during his membership on the team that prepared the City of Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Sumer Olympic Games.

John J. MacAloon is Professor and Academic Associate Dean of Social Sciences at the University of Chicago. An anthropologist and historian, his most recent books include a new edition of his classic The Great Symbol: Pierre de Coubertin and the Origins of the Modern Olympic Games, the edited collection Muscular Christianity in Colonial and Post-Colonial Worlds, and the forthcoming Bearing Light: Flame Relays and the Struggle for the Olympic Movement.
MacAloon served for nearly three years as a key member of the Chicago 2016 International Relations Team. He holds the Olympic Order awarded for his scholarly and diplomatic contributions to the Olympic Movement.

Lecture Series

The International Centre for Olympic Studies hosts three annual lecture series.

The Annual J. Howard Crocker Lecture

J. Howard Crocker (1870 - 1959) had a life-long involvement with the Olympic movement. He joined the Faculty of the University of Western Ontario as Director of Physical Education in 1930, and had a significant influence on the development of the discipline at Western. A more detailed biography can be found here. A list of past speakers is provided here.

The Annual Ion P. Ioannides Memorial Lecture

Dr. Ion P. Ioannides was connected to students and faculty the University of Western Ontario by strong and lasting friendships. His dynamic leadership left its mark on the development of physical education and sport in Greece. Please read about Ion Iannides' life here. A list of past speakers can be found here.

The Annual Earle F. Zeigler Lecture

Dr. Earle Zeigler, formerly Dean of the then Faculty of Physical Education at the University of Western Ontario has exerted a major influence on research and discussions in the discipline of Physical Education for many decades. As the author of over 400 published works, Dr. Zeigler's broad interests range across the areas of history, philosophy, and sport management. A more detailed biography can be found here. A list of past speakers is provided here.