The first place is not boxing! Study reveals the 10 most vulnerable sports in the Olympics: Serious injuries may cost your life
Recently, Taiwanese 57kg boxer Lin Yuting defeated a Turkish fighter at the Paris Olympics to advance to the gold medal match, which attracted great attention from Taiwanese people. In fact, “boxing” has always been regarded as one of the high-risk sports. Past studies have shown that about 20% of boxers suffer from chronic traumatic brain injury (CTBI), and there are many cases of boxers in competition every year. Cases of death during or after competition.
Besides boxing, what other sports may put athletes at higher risk of injury? According to statistical reports from two major sports journals: the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM) and the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), the following 10 Olympic sports are likely to increase the risk of injury to athletes. If the public is exposed to the following Athletes should pay more attention to their own safety and avoid injuries:
BMX
Extreme cycling (BMX) has the highest injury rate in both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics, with risks of 28% and 38% respectively. Since the BMX body is not equipped with suspension equipment, and the track terrain is mostly gravel or solid soil, and is full of obstacles, slopes and curves, athletes can easily lose their balance when performing stunts, sprinting, or hanging in the air, resulting in a fall. collapsed or injured.
Boxing
The risk of injury for boxers at the Tokyo and Rio Olympics is approximately 27% and 30% respectively. In boxing, the direct physical confrontation between players is the main reason for the high injury rate; as mentioned above, boxers are prone to chronic brain injuries and physical injuries of varying severity. In addition, there are many cases of professional boxers dying during or after competition every year.
Taekwondo
The injury risks of taekwondo athletes at the Tokyo and Rio Olympics were 14% and 20% respectively; at the London Olympics, the risk was the highest among all events at 39.1%. The technical movements of Taekwondo are mainly fast and high-force kicks, especially the head and torso. High-intensity confrontation can easily lead to bruises, sprains, head trauma and even fractures in athletes.
MTB
The risk of injury for mountain bike (MTB) athletes at the Rio Olympics was 25%, ranking third. At the London and Tokyo Olympics, the risk was about 21% and 7% respectively. MTB events are no less dangerous than BMX. In fact, players may face the risk of large and small abrasions, bruises and sprains during the competition, and because the tracks are mostly set up on mountainous and rocky terrain, serious injuries may still occur if they accidentally fall. Sports injuries .
Handball
The injury risk of handball players in the London Olympics was 21.8%, ranking fourth; the injury risks in the Tokyo and Rio Olympics were 18% and 16% respectively. Handball players are prone to sports injuries in their elbows, wrists, shoulders and other parts, and because they have more body contact and require a lot of running, they may also cause injuries to their lower limbs (such as ankles and knees).
Football
Football is the second most injured sport in the London Olympics (35.2%), second only to taekwondo; the injury rate of football players in the Rio Olympics was 17%. Common sports injuries caused by football include meniscal injuries, posterior cruciate ligament rupture, and lateral collateral ligament injuries of the knee. They are mostly related to insufficient muscle strength, failure to warm up properly, poor joint extension, and knee damage caused by sudden impacts.
Wrestling
The injury risk for wrestling athletes at the Tokyo Olympics was 18%, ranking seventh; at the London Olympics it was 12%. Wrestling sports rely on body contact. Athletes need to use various parts of the body to push, pull, hold and throw during the competition, which can easily lead to injuries to joints, bones and muscles. In addition, players need to exert force to restrict the opponent’s joints. In severe cases, It may even cause dislocations, ligament or tendon tears.
Skateboard
Skateboarding was listed as a competitive event for the first time in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but it has also become one of the sports with extremely high risks of danger and injury. The risk of injury in skateboarding competition is about 22%, ranking fourth. Players often need to perform various difficult technical movements, such as jumping, flipping, sliding and rotating, etc., requiring athletes to maintain balance while controlling the skateboard. If the movement is wrong or Lose your balance and it’s easy to fall and cause injury.
Judo
During the London Olympics, the injury risk for judo athletes was 12.3%, ranking ninth; in the Tokyo and Rio Olympics, the risk was about 8% and 12%. Judo is a defensive sport, but sports injuries such as sprains, strains, or contusions are still prone to occur. In particular, the risk of shoulder injuries is as high as over 30%.
Karate
Karate was listed as a competitive event in the Tokyo Olympics for the first time, but was canceled in the Paris Olympics. Many athletes lamented that the Olympics “can only be participated in once in a lifetime.” However, karate does have its risks. During the Tokyo Olympics, the risk of injury for athletes was 19%. The easily injured areas include the head and neck, groin, and joints.
It is worth mentioning that according to the information published in the above two major journals, the 10 sports with the lowest risk of injury (from low to high) among the Olympic events are rowing/canoeing, marathon swimming, rowing, archery, road free cycling, Water ballet, shooting, equestrian, diving and billiards.
The authors of the study reminded that athletes have received professional training, so the public must pay attention to personal safety when performing the above exercises. If you feel unwell, you must stop exercising and rest. If a sports injury persists, you should seek professional medical assistance as soon as possible to avoid affecting your daily life.
Source:
Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury Associated with Boxing
New sports, COVID- 19 and the heat: sports injuries and illnesses in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
Sports injuries and illnesses during the London Summer Olympic Games 2012
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