Stian Røsten

PhD candidate at Nord University

Stian Røsten is a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Science at Nord University and a member of the Research Group for Sport and Society (RESPONSE). His main research interest is related to technology and innovation in sports. Over the past decades, the sport industry has seen an exceptional growth in the use of technologies and it has become an increasingly important both on and off the sporting field. Hence, technological innovations revolutionize the ways that sports is played, viewed and organised. Røsten is interested in the opportunities and challenges surrounding the use of technologies in sports, and especially, the role and impact it have on athletes’ everyday lives. This for instance, includes concepts connected with surveillance and control, which are associated with managing athletes’ bodies to facilitate aspects such as performance enhancement, physiological improvements, and injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Tell us about your project!

Across professional sports, both in Norway and internationally, there has been a rapid acceleration in the collection and processing of athlete data through the use of technologies. Much like a Formula 1 race car, where every single part and piece of such car is known, tracked, and measured, the same is becoming true for today’s athletes who are being rigorously monitored and controlled. The overall aim of the project is to explore the implications of surveillance practices in elite sports and the role and impact it have on athletes’ everyday lives. Specifically, in relation to the use of surveillance technologies, where athletes’ personal data is gathered and analysed on a daily basis both on and off the field. The following research questions are advanced: (1) What implications does surveillance have on athletes?, and (2) How do athletes experience and handle this situation?

“The overall aim of the project is to explore the implications of surveillance practices in elite sports and the role and impact it have on athletes’ everyday lives.”

— Stian Røsten on his Ph. D project “No Place to Hide? Surveillance of Athletes in Elite Sports”