Bonjour fellow Physiopedians!
We hope you are looking forward to the approaching Paris Summer Olympics 2024 as much as we are, it all starts in 2 weeks from 26 July to 11 August. To get you excited here are some fascinating facts about this year’s games:
- Athletes from 184 countries will participate
- Around 10,500 athletes will compete in 329 events across 32 sports
- 36 athletes will take part as part of the Refugee Olympic team
- Some nations will be represented by just 1 athlete, while the USA boasts the largest team with 588 athletes
- Breakdancing will debut as an Olympic sport
- Skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing will make their second appearance
The elite athletes competing at the Olympics have shown commitment, worked hard and pushed themselves physically and mentally to reach the highest level in their sport. And while sports participation provides many health benefits, pushing our bodies to the limits also comes with a risk of injury.
During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, 9% of athletes sustained at least one injury. The sports with the highest incidences of injury were boxing (27%), BMX racing (27%); BMX freestyle (22%), skateboarding (21%); karate (19%) and handball (18%). Notably BMX freestyle and skateboarding were new events at the 2020 Olympics. Sports with the lowest incidences of injury (1 to 2%) were diving, road cycling, rowing, marathon swimming and shooting.
To help athletes stay in peak condition, countries send medical teams composed of sports physicians, physiotherapists, dietitians, nutritionists, exercise scientists, athletic trainers, chiropractors, psychologists, and more! These professionals are key in helping athletes manage injuries and illness and also help athletes perform at their best.
For those interested in sports medicine and working with athletes we have two great programmes on Plus to explore:
Both of these programmes feature expert Physiotherapists with Olympic experience; these Instructors really know what they are talking about!
Stay tuned to our social media channels as we spotlight different Olympic sports, common injuries and management strategies in the coming weeks. We’ll also discuss some injuries occurring at the Olympics sharing our lovely Physiopedia pages with everyone for globally free learning (although we hope there won’t be too many of these).
