The 2024 Paris Olympics has debuted the urban dance style of ‘breaking’, and athletes scaled new heights during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the addition of seven new sports, including karate and climbing. But while overall injuries at the Tokyo Olympics remained comparable to previous games, researchers found some of the new sports contributed a disproportionately large portion of them.
Findings of the Study
To safeguard athletes’ wellbeing, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) audits injuries and illnesses at each Olympics. Their report published in 2022 describes the incidence of these during the Tokyo Games. 11,315 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees participated in the Tokyo Summer Olympics during 23 July to 8 August 2021, and their medical teams reported a total of 1035 injuries and 438 illnesses across the 17 days. This averaged to around nine injuries and four illnesses per 100 athletes.
While COVID-19 impacted 18 athletes (less than 0.2 percent), there were fewer illnesses overall than in previous years. The overall injury rate of 9 percent was similar to that of previous Olympics. The highest incidence of injury happened during boxing (27 percent) along with the new sports of BMX racing (27 percent), BMX freestyle (22 percent), skateboarding (21 percent), and karate (19 percent). There could be many reasons why athletes competing in the new sports ended up with more injuries, including weather conditions, venue, track or equipment design, and awareness and adherence to injury prevention training.
The researchers emphasized the importance of ongoing, longitudinal monitoring of injuries and illnesses, as variables might change over time. They also recommended that those governing the sports use the collected data to reduce the risk in future events. Heat illnesses also impacted 78 athletes, which isn’t surprising given the high temperatures during the Tokyo Olympics. Mitigation efforts included relocation of some events, recommendations for training in similar conditions in the lead up to the games, hydration and shade during the events, and ice baths afterward. The researchers recommended that future games be held in cooler environments to reduce the need for exertional heat illness countermeasures and maximize the athletes’ chances of reaching their peak performance.
The study highlights the impact of new sports on injuries at the Tokyo Olympics. While the overall injury rate was similar to previous games, some of the new sports contributed a disproportionately large portion of injuries. It is important for sports governing bodies to use the data collected to reduce the risk of injuries in future events. Additionally, measures should be taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of athletes, especially in extreme weather conditions.
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