diff --git a/LongevityWorldCup.Tests/LongevityWorldCup.Tests.csproj b/LongevityWorldCup.Tests/LongevityWorldCup.Tests.csproj
index 6b2135795..4541e7d93 100644
--- a/LongevityWorldCup.Tests/LongevityWorldCup.Tests.csproj
+++ b/LongevityWorldCup.Tests/LongevityWorldCup.Tests.csproj
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 
   <ItemGroup>
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Testing" Version="10.0.9" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="18.6.0" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Playwright" Version="1.60.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="18.7.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Playwright" Version="1.61.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="coverlet.msbuild" Version="10.0.1">
       <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
     </PackageReference>
diff --git a/LongevityWorldCup.Tests/SelectedAthleteBootstrapPageTests.cs b/LongevityWorldCup.Tests/SelectedAthleteBootstrapPageTests.cs
index b23c17f27..36b045a0e 100644
--- a/LongevityWorldCup.Tests/SelectedAthleteBootstrapPageTests.cs
+++ b/LongevityWorldCup.Tests/SelectedAthleteBootstrapPageTests.cs
@@ -20,14 +20,14 @@ public async Task SelectedAthleteRecovery_UsesSafeStorageCleanup(string path, st
         if (path == "/dashboard")
         {
             var flow = await client.GetStringAsync("/js/play-athlete-flow.js");
-            var recoveryStart = flow.IndexOf("function readRequiredSelectedAthlete()", StringComparison.Ordinal);
-            var redirectIndex = flow.IndexOf("window.location.replace(\"/select-athlete\");", recoveryStart, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+            var recoveryStart = flow.IndexOf("function getStoredSelectedAthlete()", StringComparison.Ordinal);
+            var recoveryEnd = flow.IndexOf("function isValidSelectedAthlete(value)", recoveryStart, StringComparison.Ordinal);
 
-            Assert.Contains("flow.readRequiredSelectedAthlete();", html);
+            Assert.Contains("flow.getStoredSelectedAthlete();", html);
             Assert.True(recoveryStart >= 0);
-            Assert.True(redirectIndex > recoveryStart);
+            Assert.True(recoveryEnd > recoveryStart);
 
-            var recoveryBody = flow[recoveryStart..redirectIndex];
+            var recoveryBody = flow[recoveryStart..recoveryEnd];
 
             Assert.Contains("function removeSessionItem(key)", flow);
             Assert.Contains("removeSessionItem(\"selectedAthlete\");", recoveryBody);
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public async Task SelectedAthleteValidation_RejectsArrays(string path)
 
         if (path == "/dashboard")
         {
-            Assert.Contains("flow.readRequiredSelectedAthlete();", html);
+            Assert.Contains("flow.getStoredSelectedAthlete();", html);
         }
         else if (isBioagePage)
         {
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public async Task SelectedAthleteValidation_RejectsBlankNames(string path)
 
         if (path == "/dashboard")
         {
-            Assert.Contains("flow.readRequiredSelectedAthlete();", html);
+            Assert.Contains("flow.getStoredSelectedAthlete();", html);
         }
         else if (isBioagePage)
         {
diff --git a/LongevityWorldCup.Website/LongevityWorldCup.Website.csproj b/LongevityWorldCup.Website/LongevityWorldCup.Website.csproj
index 4a0b91ade..7e0a96f63 100644
--- a/LongevityWorldCup.Website/LongevityWorldCup.Website.csproj
+++ b/LongevityWorldCup.Website/LongevityWorldCup.Website.csproj
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@
     <PackageReference Include="Google.Apis.Auth" Version="1.75.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="MailKit" Version="4.17.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Data.Sqlite.Core" Version="10.0.9" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Quartz.Extensions.Hosting" Version="3.18.1" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Quartz.Extensions.Hosting" Version="3.18.2" />
     <PackageReference Include="SixLabors.ImageSharp" Version="3.1.12" />
     <PackageReference Include="SixLabors.ImageSharp.Drawing" Version="2.1.7" />
     <PackageReference Include="SQLitePCLRaw.bundle_e_sqlite3" Version="3.0.3" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Swashbuckle.AspNetCore" Version="10.2.2" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Swashbuckle.AspNetCore" Version="10.2.3" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <Target Name="GenerateDocumentationPages" BeforeTargets="BeforeBuild">
diff --git a/LongevityWorldCup.Website/wwwroot/js/play-athlete-flow.js b/LongevityWorldCup.Website/wwwroot/js/play-athlete-flow.js
index 7ead6cdd2..ffc8836e8 100644
--- a/LongevityWorldCup.Website/wwwroot/js/play-athlete-flow.js
+++ b/LongevityWorldCup.Website/wwwroot/js/play-athlete-flow.js
@@ -85,12 +85,15 @@ function getStoredSelectedAthlete() {
 
     try {
         const athlete = JSON.parse(json);
-        return athlete && typeof athlete === "object" && typeof athlete.Name === "string"
-            ? athlete
-            : null;
+        if (isValidSelectedAthlete(athlete)) {
+            return athlete;
+        }
     } catch (_) {
-        return null;
     }
+
+    removeSessionItem("selectedAthlete");
+    removeSessionItem("tempAthlete");
+    return null;
 }
 
 function isValidSelectedAthlete(value) {
diff --git a/LongevityWorldCup.Website/wwwroot/play/menu.html b/LongevityWorldCup.Website/wwwroot/play/menu.html
index 29954a758..765d90b5d 100644
--- a/LongevityWorldCup.Website/wwwroot/play/menu.html
+++ b/LongevityWorldCup.Website/wwwroot/play/menu.html
@@ -939,14 +939,25 @@ <h1 id="athleteDashboardTitle" class="play-dashboard-title">Athlete dashboard</h
             let target = panelByPath[path];
             if (!target) return;
 
+            function redirectToSelectionPanel() {
+                try {
+                    window.sessionStorage.removeItem('selectedAthlete');
+                    window.sessionStorage.removeItem('tempAthlete');
+                } catch (_) {
+                }
+                window.location.replace('/select-athlete');
+            }
+
             if (path === '/dashboard') {
                 try {
                     const athlete = JSON.parse(window.sessionStorage.getItem('selectedAthlete') || 'null');
                     if (!athlete || typeof athlete.Name !== 'string' || !athlete.Name.trim()) {
-                        target = panelByPath['/select-athlete'];
+                        redirectToSelectionPanel();
+                        return;
                     }
                 } catch (_) {
-                    target = panelByPath['/select-athlete'];
+                    redirectToSelectionPanel();
+                    return;
                 }
             }
 
@@ -1058,6 +1069,10 @@ <h1 id="athleteDashboardTitle" class="play-dashboard-title">Athlete dashboard</h
                 const dashboardAthlete = athleteSelection.getCurrentAthlete()
                     || flow.getStoredSelectedAthlete();
                 if (!dashboardAthlete || !dashboardAthlete.Name) {
+                    if (window.location.pathname.toLowerCase() === getPlayRoute('dashboard')) {
+                        window.location.replace(getPlayRoute('selection'));
+                        return { panelName: 'selection', dashboardAthlete: null, isRedirecting: true };
+                    }
                     return { panelName: 'selection', dashboardAthlete: null };
                 }
 
@@ -1068,6 +1083,7 @@ <h1 id="athleteDashboardTitle" class="play-dashboard-title">Athlete dashboard</h
             function showPlayPanel(requestedPanelName, options = {}) {
                 const requested = playRouteStates[requestedPanelName] ? requestedPanelName : 'start';
                 const resolved = resolveRequestedPlayPanel(requested);
+                if (resolved.isRedirecting) return;
                 const panelName = resolved.panelName;
                 const historyMode = requested === panelName ? options.historyMode : (options.historyMode || 'replace');