Idefy anyone to watch an Olympic opening ceremony without a tear or a lump in their throat. Doubts and cynicism melt away in the presence of the athletes, who have devoted such honest, passionate effort to their endeavours.

It’s this uplifting spirit which means the Olympic Games continues to delight and amaze, in spite of the commercialisation and battle we have with cheating.

In this issue of Sports Management we celebrate Rio 2016 and focus on the people and facilities that have contributed to the UK’s participation.

The Olympic Games is the only event that brings the world together to spend time playing in a spirit of peace – men and women, the able bodied and those with disabilities and from almost every nation.

It’s something we sorely need at this time when the negatives are threatening to overwhelm the positives. We must guard the Olympics’ from the bad intentions which are harming humanity in other arenas. They’re precious and must be protected.

Sporting ethics have been headline news for weeks in the run up to Rio, as the international community wrestles with state-sponsored cheating by Russia.

Cheating in sport is an age-old problem, but the commercial value of an Olympic medal, the rise of nationalism and advances in the science of doping, mean it’s never been easier to cheat and that the incentives to do so have never been greater.

But although it’s the high profile cases which make the headlines, cheating is a continuum and everyone involved can contribute to keeping sport honest, from the grassroots up, by setting and enforcing fair rules.

Much of it is about intention – are we playing by the letter AND the spirit of the law?

We heard evidence recently that athletes training for sports where competition is in weight bands, are being encouraged to abuse laxatives to get their weight down and this is leading to infertility problem in women. The fact coaches are involved, means they’re harming those in their charge.

Sport can be a bringer of joy and health, but the actions involved in cheating can destroy lives. This matters at every level, because it feeds its way up.

We have to keep sport clean and the governance of sports bodies needs to be routinely checked to ensure this is the case at every level, not just at the top.

The UK’s new sport Code of Governance, due to be published in Septembe, will create a solid foundation and set expectations for sports organisations, to enable them to earn the trust of funders, athletes and stakeholders. It can’t come soon enough.