전문체육선수의 내부고발 과정에서의 제약 경험

This study aims to identify the constraints experienced by elite athletes during the whistleblowing process. To this end, a literature review and in-depth interviews were conducted with five athletes selected through snowball sampling. The findings reveal three key themes. First, in the closed environment of elite sports, anonymity was not guaranteed, and whistleblowers were easily identified. They were stigmatized as “troublemakers” or “those who failed to adapt,” leading to exclusion, ostracism, and reputational damage. Second, organizational retaliation occurred through collusion among referees, federation officials, coaches, and teammates, isolating whistleblowers through identity exposure, biased judgments, and exclusion from entry lists. Third, institutional mechanisms such as the Korea Sports Ethics Center failed to provide effective protection due to the lack of disciplinary authority and delays in case handling, allowing organizations to conceal incidents through unofficial procedures. Overall, whistleblowing in elite sports emerged as a high-risk act shaped by structural oppression rather than individual morality. Athletes recognized the risks of stigma, retaliation, and lack of protection, often choosing silence as a rational strategy to preserve their careers and livelihoods.