ObjectiveTo describe injuries and illnesses across traditional and new sports among the participa... more ObjectiveTo describe injuries and illnesses across traditional and new sports among the participating athletes of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Summer Games (BA YOG) (6–18 October 2018).MethodsWe recorded the daily number of athlete injuries and illnesses (1) through the reporting of all National Olympic Committee (NOC) medical teams and (2) in the polyclinic and medical venues manned by the BA YOG 2018 medical staff.ResultsIn total, 3.984 athletes from 206 NOCs were observed. NOCs and BA YOG 2018 medical staff reported 619 injuries and 334 illnesses, equalling 15.5 injuries and 8.4 illnesses per 100 athletes over the 13-day period. The eight new sports on the Youth Olympic programme (futsal, beach handball, karate, roller speed skating, kitesurfing, BMX freestyle, climbing and break dancing) fell in between the other sports with respect to injury and illness risk. Injury incidence was highest in rugby (43% of all rugby players), followed by boxing (33%) and badminton (24%), a...
To understand the unique impacts of the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC) Certifica... more To understand the unique impacts of the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC) Certificate of Added Competence (CAC) in Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) on the delivery of comprehensive care in Canada. Secondary analysis of qualitative interview data collected during a multiple case study of the impacts of the CAC program in Canada. Six cases purposively sampled from across Canada. Each case was bound by a collective of healthcare providers who work with a defined group of patients. Across the cases, 48 individuals participated, including SEM and other enhanced skill family physicians, generalist family physicians, residents, specialists, and administrative staff. Qualitative descriptions of the impacts of the SEM certificate on comprehensive care provision in Canada. SEM certificate holders experience enhanced well-being and professional satisfaction while also benefitting comprehensive care in communities in numerous ways. That SEM certificate holders may prioritize professional interests over community healthcare needs was identified as a potential drawback. Athletes and physically active individuals have specific healthcare needs, and may constitute a significant critical mass to be considered a community unto themselves. The SEM certificates impact healthcare positively when holders work in collaborative models that are well aligned with local community needs. Expanding the awareness of the scope of SEM and advocacy for adequate remuneration for these services have the potential to enhance SEM contributions to comprehensive family medicine in Canada.
The ‘H2O’ swimming slogan illustrates the life of the competitive swimmer as one that is driven b... more The ‘H2O’ swimming slogan illustrates the life of the competitive swimmer as one that is driven by devotion and passion. For the aquatic team physician, this slogan begs the questions: What exactly do we know about the adaptations of the swimmer's heart to the years of endurance training? How is the elite swimmer's heart different to population norms? What else should we be doing to preserve the swimmer's health (figure 1)? Figure 1 Competitive swimming. Swimming is rich with legendary stories of successful athletes: the eight Olympic gold medals of Michael Phelps, the renowned feats of Ian the ‘Thorpedo’ and the television success of Tarzan ‘Johnny Weissmuller’, who won both swimming and water polo Olympic medals. But sadly, not all careers have a fairy-tale ending as swimmers’ careers are often ended prematurely by preventable sport-related injury or illness. Although uncommon, elite swimmers also suffer from sudden cardiac death, as evident in the 2012 death of the 100 m breast stroke world record holder, Alexander Oen. The Olympic Charter obliges all International Federations to encourage and support measures to protect the health of athletes. The Olympic Movement Medical Code further expands these health protection mandates, which are also reflected in the Federation …
The ‘H2O’ swimming slogan illustrates the life of the competitive swimmer as one that is driven b... more The ‘H2O’ swimming slogan illustrates the life of the competitive swimmer as one that is driven by devotion and passion. For the aquatic team physician, this slogan begs the questions: What exactly do we know about the adaptations of the swimmer's heart to the years of endurance training? How is the elite swimmer's heart different to population norms? What else should we be doing to preserve the swimmer's health (figure 1)? Figure 1 Competitive swimming. Swimming is rich with legendary stories of successful athletes: the eight Olympic gold medals of Michael Phelps, the renowned feats of Ian the ‘Thorpedo’ and the television success of Tarzan ‘Johnny Weissmuller’, who won both swimming and water polo Olympic medals. But sadly, not all careers have a fairy-tale ending as swimmers’ careers are often ended prematurely by preventable sport-related injury or illness. Although uncommon, elite swimmers also suffer from sudden cardiac death, as evident in the 2012 death of the 100 m breast stroke world record holder, Alexander Oen. The Olympic Charter obliges all International Federations to encourage and support measures to protect the health of athletes. The Olympic Movement Medical Code further expands these health protection mandates, which are also reflected in the Federation …
Sport is rich with remarkable stories of successful youth athletes: Wayne Gretzky, the ‘Great One... more Sport is rich with remarkable stories of successful youth athletes: Wayne Gretzky, the ‘Great One’ of ice hockey, Alexandre Despastie, the Commonwealth Games diving gold medallist at the age of 13, and Janet Evans, the child prodigy in the swimming pool. But sadly, these legendary stories of success in youth sport do not always have such a storybook ending. All too often, youth athlete sport careers are ended prematurely by preventable sport-related injury from ill-informed training and competition regimens, or as a consequence of unrelenting undue psychological stress from unrealistic expectations and adult-induced pressures. An example—albeit hypothetical scenario—underscores a global concern in youth sports:Sarah, like many young girls, is an aspiring elite gymnast who wanted to be just like Nadia Comanice. At 14 years old, Sarah is training at a National Gymnastics Training Centre far from home while attending a special sports school. With the advent of her adolescent growth spurt, Sarah begins to recognize the new challenges that parallel her changing body shape and accompanying alteration in her centre of gravity. Sarah and her coach notice increasing shortcomings in her ability to perform previously mastered complex gymnastic skills in all of the four gymnastic events of floor, uneven bars, beam and vaulting. In a misguided effort to control her weight increase and recent change in body shape, her coach, put her on a restricted diet and imposed daily weigh-ins before practice, so that she could regain her ‘ideal’ body composition before the judges see her compete in the National Trials in 3 weeks’ time. At the end of a 5-hour training session, while attempting to land a dismount from the bars, a very fatigued Sarah under rotates and lands with …
Sport is rich with remarkable stories of successful youth athletes: Wayne Gretzky, the ‘Great One... more Sport is rich with remarkable stories of successful youth athletes: Wayne Gretzky, the ‘Great One’ of ice hockey, Alexandre Despastie, the Commonwealth Games diving gold medallist at the age of 13, and Janet Evans, the child prodigy in the swimming pool. But sadly, these legendary stories of success in youth sport do not always have such a storybook ending. All too often, youth athlete sport careers are ended prematurely by preventable sport-related injury from ill-informed training and competition regimens, or as a consequence of unrelenting undue psychological stress from unrealistic expectations and adult-induced pressures. An example—albeit hypothetical scenario—underscores a global concern in youth sports:Sarah, like many young girls, is an aspiring elite gymnast who wanted to be just like Nadia Comanice. At 14 years old, Sarah is training at a National Gymnastics Training Centre far from home while attending a special sports school. With the advent of her adolescent growth spurt, Sarah begins to recognize the new challenges that parallel her changing body shape and accompanying alteration in her centre of gravity. Sarah and her coach notice increasing shortcomings in her ability to perform previously mastered complex gymnastic skills in all of the four gymnastic events of floor, uneven bars, beam and vaulting. In a misguided effort to control her weight increase and recent change in body shape, her coach, put her on a restricted diet and imposed daily weigh-ins before practice, so that she could regain her ‘ideal’ body composition before the judges see her compete in the National Trials in 3 weeks’ time. At the end of a 5-hour training session, while attempting to land a dismount from the bars, a very fatigued Sarah under rotates and lands with …
International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2014
The sport of synchronized swimming is unique, because it combines speed, power, and endurance wit... more The sport of synchronized swimming is unique, because it combines speed, power, and endurance with precise synchronized movements and high-risk acrobatic maneuvers. Athletes must train and compete while spending a great amount of time underwater, upside down, and without the luxury of easily available oxygen. This review assesses the scientific evidence with respect to the physiological demands, energy expenditure, and body composition in these athletes. The role of appropriate energy requirements and guidelines for carbohydrate, protein, fat, and micronutrients for elite synchronized swimmers are reviewed. Because of the aesthetic nature of the sport, which prioritizes leanness, the risks of energy and macronutrient deficiencies are of significant concern. Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and disordered eating/eating disorders are also of concern for these female athletes. An approach to the healthy management of body composition in synchronized swimming is outlined. Synchronize...
209 The sport of swimming is universal with global participation at all ages from the recreationa... more 209 The sport of swimming is universal with global participation at all ages from the recreational level to elite level. FINA, the international governing body of the aquatic disciplines of swimming, diving, water polo, open water swimming, high diving and synchronized swimming, has 207 member National Federations. Along with global popularity comes social responsibility. FINA, as the custodian of the aquatic sports, is obligated by membership in the Olympic Movement not only to protect the health of the athlete, but also to safeguard the health and well-being of the global community. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the role of FINA, as an International Sports Federation, in preserving the health and well-being of the elite athlete and the global community. This thesis outlines the steps taken by FINA to meet the obligation to protect the health of the aquatic athlete and to promote global health. Injuries and illnesses in the aquatic sports Two studies in this thesis descr...
OBJECTIVE To assess the mental health and experience of sport-related harassment and abuse of eli... more OBJECTIVE To assess the mental health and experience of sport-related harassment and abuse of elite aquatic athletes and to analyze it in relation to gender and discipline. DESIGN Cross-sectional study using an anonymous survey. SETTING The FINA World Championships 2019. PARTICIPANTS Registered athletes in the disciplines of swimming, diving, high diving, water polo, artistic swimming, and open water swimming. INTERVENTIONS Athletes completed an online or paper-based questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measures included screening for depression (10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale revised), eating disorders (Brief Eating Disorders in Athletes Questionnaire), the subjective need for psychotherapeutic support, and the experience of sport-related harassment and/or abuse. RESULTS A quarter (24.6%) of the 377 responding athletes were classified as depressed and 2.5% as having an eating disorder. More than 40% of the athletes stated that they wanted or needed psychotherapeutic support. Fifty-one athletes (14.9%) had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves, and 31 (9%) had witnessed it in another athlete. The experiences of harassment and abuse ranged from unwanted comments about body or appearance (40.2%) to rewards in sport for sexual favors (2.5%) and rape (0.3%). Athletes who had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves had higher average scores for depression and eating disorders, and more of them felt they needed psychotherapeutic support. Up to a third would not talk or report to anybody if they saw or experienced harassment/abuse, and less than 20% would talk to an official for help. CONCLUSION Targeted initiatives are required to address mental health issues and harassment and abuse in sport in the FINA aquatic disciplines.
Ensuring the health of the elite athlete is embedded in the Olympic Movement Medical Code,1 and a... more Ensuring the health of the elite athlete is embedded in the Olympic Movement Medical Code,1 and a top priority for International Sports Federations (IF).2 With this objective in mind, cardiovascular preparticipation screening (PPS) is now widely advocated.3–5 While seen as a necessary step in the prevention of the often silent conditions associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD), reports documenting its implementation among the various IFs are sparse. Fifty-six per cent of IFs currently implement PPS,2 however, only FIFA has documented their findings regarding the feasibility of such practice. The adaptive response to intensive continuous exercise varies greatly depending on the sport played, and so the determination of normative cardiac values per sport has benefits when interpreting the standardised, sport-unspecific guidelines currently in place. The selection bias among some sports may also lead to a greater incidence of pathology associated with SCD.6 One of the challenges often faced by IF's in implementing a successful screening programme is the global representation of athletes. Historically, it was therefore …
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. data sharing statement The... more Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. data sharing statement There is no unpublished data.
Participation in sport has many physical, psychological and social benefits for the child athlete... more Participation in sport has many physical, psychological and social benefits for the child athlete. A growing body of evidence indicates, however, that sport participation may have inherent threats for the child's well-being. The subject of safeguarding children in sport has seen an increase in scientific study in recent years. In particular, there is increasing emphasis on identifying who is involved in abuse, the context of where it occurs and the identification of the various forms of abuse that take place in the sporting domain. Safeguarding principles developed by the International Safeguarding Children in Sport Founders Group are presented along with 8 underlying pillars which underpin the successful adoption and implementation of safeguarding strategies. This safeguarding model is designed to assist sport organisations in the creation of a safe sporting environment to ensure that the child athlete can flourish and reach their athletic potential through an enjoyable experience. The aim of this narrative review is to (1) present a summary of the scientific literature on the threats to children in sport; (2) introduce a framework to categorise these threats; (3) identify research gaps in the field and (4) provide safeguarding recommendations for sport organisations.
To describe the pattern of injuries and illnesses sustained during the Games of the XXXI Olympiad... more To describe the pattern of injuries and illnesses sustained during the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, hosted by Rio de Janeiro from 5 to 21 August 2016. We recorded the daily incidence of athlete injuries and illnesses (1) through the reporting of all National Olympic Committee (NOC) medical teams and (2) in the polyclinic and medical venues by the Rio 2016 medical staff. In total, 11 274 athletes (5089 women, 45%; 6185 men, 55%) from 207 NOCs participated in the study. NOC and Rio 2016 medical staff reported 1101 injuries and 651 illnesses, equalling 9.8 injuries and 5.4 illnesses per 100 athletes over the 17-day period. Altogether, 8% of the athletes incurred at least one injury and 5% at least one illness. The injury incidence was highest in BMX cycling (38% of the athletes injured), boxing (30%), mountain bike cycling (24%), taekwondo (24%), water polo (19%) and rugby (19%), and lowest in canoe slalom, rowing, shooting, archery, swimming, golf and table tennis (0%-3%). Of the 1101 ...
ObjectiveTo describe injuries and illnesses across traditional and new sports among the participa... more ObjectiveTo describe injuries and illnesses across traditional and new sports among the participating athletes of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Summer Games (BA YOG) (6–18 October 2018).MethodsWe recorded the daily number of athlete injuries and illnesses (1) through the reporting of all National Olympic Committee (NOC) medical teams and (2) in the polyclinic and medical venues manned by the BA YOG 2018 medical staff.ResultsIn total, 3.984 athletes from 206 NOCs were observed. NOCs and BA YOG 2018 medical staff reported 619 injuries and 334 illnesses, equalling 15.5 injuries and 8.4 illnesses per 100 athletes over the 13-day period. The eight new sports on the Youth Olympic programme (futsal, beach handball, karate, roller speed skating, kitesurfing, BMX freestyle, climbing and break dancing) fell in between the other sports with respect to injury and illness risk. Injury incidence was highest in rugby (43% of all rugby players), followed by boxing (33%) and badminton (24%), a...
To understand the unique impacts of the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC) Certifica... more To understand the unique impacts of the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC) Certificate of Added Competence (CAC) in Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) on the delivery of comprehensive care in Canada. Secondary analysis of qualitative interview data collected during a multiple case study of the impacts of the CAC program in Canada. Six cases purposively sampled from across Canada. Each case was bound by a collective of healthcare providers who work with a defined group of patients. Across the cases, 48 individuals participated, including SEM and other enhanced skill family physicians, generalist family physicians, residents, specialists, and administrative staff. Qualitative descriptions of the impacts of the SEM certificate on comprehensive care provision in Canada. SEM certificate holders experience enhanced well-being and professional satisfaction while also benefitting comprehensive care in communities in numerous ways. That SEM certificate holders may prioritize professional interests over community healthcare needs was identified as a potential drawback. Athletes and physically active individuals have specific healthcare needs, and may constitute a significant critical mass to be considered a community unto themselves. The SEM certificates impact healthcare positively when holders work in collaborative models that are well aligned with local community needs. Expanding the awareness of the scope of SEM and advocacy for adequate remuneration for these services have the potential to enhance SEM contributions to comprehensive family medicine in Canada.
The ‘H2O’ swimming slogan illustrates the life of the competitive swimmer as one that is driven b... more The ‘H2O’ swimming slogan illustrates the life of the competitive swimmer as one that is driven by devotion and passion. For the aquatic team physician, this slogan begs the questions: What exactly do we know about the adaptations of the swimmer's heart to the years of endurance training? How is the elite swimmer's heart different to population norms? What else should we be doing to preserve the swimmer's health (figure 1)? Figure 1 Competitive swimming. Swimming is rich with legendary stories of successful athletes: the eight Olympic gold medals of Michael Phelps, the renowned feats of Ian the ‘Thorpedo’ and the television success of Tarzan ‘Johnny Weissmuller’, who won both swimming and water polo Olympic medals. But sadly, not all careers have a fairy-tale ending as swimmers’ careers are often ended prematurely by preventable sport-related injury or illness. Although uncommon, elite swimmers also suffer from sudden cardiac death, as evident in the 2012 death of the 100 m breast stroke world record holder, Alexander Oen. The Olympic Charter obliges all International Federations to encourage and support measures to protect the health of athletes. The Olympic Movement Medical Code further expands these health protection mandates, which are also reflected in the Federation …
The ‘H2O’ swimming slogan illustrates the life of the competitive swimmer as one that is driven b... more The ‘H2O’ swimming slogan illustrates the life of the competitive swimmer as one that is driven by devotion and passion. For the aquatic team physician, this slogan begs the questions: What exactly do we know about the adaptations of the swimmer's heart to the years of endurance training? How is the elite swimmer's heart different to population norms? What else should we be doing to preserve the swimmer's health (figure 1)? Figure 1 Competitive swimming. Swimming is rich with legendary stories of successful athletes: the eight Olympic gold medals of Michael Phelps, the renowned feats of Ian the ‘Thorpedo’ and the television success of Tarzan ‘Johnny Weissmuller’, who won both swimming and water polo Olympic medals. But sadly, not all careers have a fairy-tale ending as swimmers’ careers are often ended prematurely by preventable sport-related injury or illness. Although uncommon, elite swimmers also suffer from sudden cardiac death, as evident in the 2012 death of the 100 m breast stroke world record holder, Alexander Oen. The Olympic Charter obliges all International Federations to encourage and support measures to protect the health of athletes. The Olympic Movement Medical Code further expands these health protection mandates, which are also reflected in the Federation …
Sport is rich with remarkable stories of successful youth athletes: Wayne Gretzky, the ‘Great One... more Sport is rich with remarkable stories of successful youth athletes: Wayne Gretzky, the ‘Great One’ of ice hockey, Alexandre Despastie, the Commonwealth Games diving gold medallist at the age of 13, and Janet Evans, the child prodigy in the swimming pool. But sadly, these legendary stories of success in youth sport do not always have such a storybook ending. All too often, youth athlete sport careers are ended prematurely by preventable sport-related injury from ill-informed training and competition regimens, or as a consequence of unrelenting undue psychological stress from unrealistic expectations and adult-induced pressures. An example—albeit hypothetical scenario—underscores a global concern in youth sports:Sarah, like many young girls, is an aspiring elite gymnast who wanted to be just like Nadia Comanice. At 14 years old, Sarah is training at a National Gymnastics Training Centre far from home while attending a special sports school. With the advent of her adolescent growth spurt, Sarah begins to recognize the new challenges that parallel her changing body shape and accompanying alteration in her centre of gravity. Sarah and her coach notice increasing shortcomings in her ability to perform previously mastered complex gymnastic skills in all of the four gymnastic events of floor, uneven bars, beam and vaulting. In a misguided effort to control her weight increase and recent change in body shape, her coach, put her on a restricted diet and imposed daily weigh-ins before practice, so that she could regain her ‘ideal’ body composition before the judges see her compete in the National Trials in 3 weeks’ time. At the end of a 5-hour training session, while attempting to land a dismount from the bars, a very fatigued Sarah under rotates and lands with …
Sport is rich with remarkable stories of successful youth athletes: Wayne Gretzky, the ‘Great One... more Sport is rich with remarkable stories of successful youth athletes: Wayne Gretzky, the ‘Great One’ of ice hockey, Alexandre Despastie, the Commonwealth Games diving gold medallist at the age of 13, and Janet Evans, the child prodigy in the swimming pool. But sadly, these legendary stories of success in youth sport do not always have such a storybook ending. All too often, youth athlete sport careers are ended prematurely by preventable sport-related injury from ill-informed training and competition regimens, or as a consequence of unrelenting undue psychological stress from unrealistic expectations and adult-induced pressures. An example—albeit hypothetical scenario—underscores a global concern in youth sports:Sarah, like many young girls, is an aspiring elite gymnast who wanted to be just like Nadia Comanice. At 14 years old, Sarah is training at a National Gymnastics Training Centre far from home while attending a special sports school. With the advent of her adolescent growth spurt, Sarah begins to recognize the new challenges that parallel her changing body shape and accompanying alteration in her centre of gravity. Sarah and her coach notice increasing shortcomings in her ability to perform previously mastered complex gymnastic skills in all of the four gymnastic events of floor, uneven bars, beam and vaulting. In a misguided effort to control her weight increase and recent change in body shape, her coach, put her on a restricted diet and imposed daily weigh-ins before practice, so that she could regain her ‘ideal’ body composition before the judges see her compete in the National Trials in 3 weeks’ time. At the end of a 5-hour training session, while attempting to land a dismount from the bars, a very fatigued Sarah under rotates and lands with …
International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2014
The sport of synchronized swimming is unique, because it combines speed, power, and endurance wit... more The sport of synchronized swimming is unique, because it combines speed, power, and endurance with precise synchronized movements and high-risk acrobatic maneuvers. Athletes must train and compete while spending a great amount of time underwater, upside down, and without the luxury of easily available oxygen. This review assesses the scientific evidence with respect to the physiological demands, energy expenditure, and body composition in these athletes. The role of appropriate energy requirements and guidelines for carbohydrate, protein, fat, and micronutrients for elite synchronized swimmers are reviewed. Because of the aesthetic nature of the sport, which prioritizes leanness, the risks of energy and macronutrient deficiencies are of significant concern. Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and disordered eating/eating disorders are also of concern for these female athletes. An approach to the healthy management of body composition in synchronized swimming is outlined. Synchronize...
209 The sport of swimming is universal with global participation at all ages from the recreationa... more 209 The sport of swimming is universal with global participation at all ages from the recreational level to elite level. FINA, the international governing body of the aquatic disciplines of swimming, diving, water polo, open water swimming, high diving and synchronized swimming, has 207 member National Federations. Along with global popularity comes social responsibility. FINA, as the custodian of the aquatic sports, is obligated by membership in the Olympic Movement not only to protect the health of the athlete, but also to safeguard the health and well-being of the global community. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the role of FINA, as an International Sports Federation, in preserving the health and well-being of the elite athlete and the global community. This thesis outlines the steps taken by FINA to meet the obligation to protect the health of the aquatic athlete and to promote global health. Injuries and illnesses in the aquatic sports Two studies in this thesis descr...
OBJECTIVE To assess the mental health and experience of sport-related harassment and abuse of eli... more OBJECTIVE To assess the mental health and experience of sport-related harassment and abuse of elite aquatic athletes and to analyze it in relation to gender and discipline. DESIGN Cross-sectional study using an anonymous survey. SETTING The FINA World Championships 2019. PARTICIPANTS Registered athletes in the disciplines of swimming, diving, high diving, water polo, artistic swimming, and open water swimming. INTERVENTIONS Athletes completed an online or paper-based questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measures included screening for depression (10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale revised), eating disorders (Brief Eating Disorders in Athletes Questionnaire), the subjective need for psychotherapeutic support, and the experience of sport-related harassment and/or abuse. RESULTS A quarter (24.6%) of the 377 responding athletes were classified as depressed and 2.5% as having an eating disorder. More than 40% of the athletes stated that they wanted or needed psychotherapeutic support. Fifty-one athletes (14.9%) had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves, and 31 (9%) had witnessed it in another athlete. The experiences of harassment and abuse ranged from unwanted comments about body or appearance (40.2%) to rewards in sport for sexual favors (2.5%) and rape (0.3%). Athletes who had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves had higher average scores for depression and eating disorders, and more of them felt they needed psychotherapeutic support. Up to a third would not talk or report to anybody if they saw or experienced harassment/abuse, and less than 20% would talk to an official for help. CONCLUSION Targeted initiatives are required to address mental health issues and harassment and abuse in sport in the FINA aquatic disciplines.
Ensuring the health of the elite athlete is embedded in the Olympic Movement Medical Code,1 and a... more Ensuring the health of the elite athlete is embedded in the Olympic Movement Medical Code,1 and a top priority for International Sports Federations (IF).2 With this objective in mind, cardiovascular preparticipation screening (PPS) is now widely advocated.3–5 While seen as a necessary step in the prevention of the often silent conditions associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD), reports documenting its implementation among the various IFs are sparse. Fifty-six per cent of IFs currently implement PPS,2 however, only FIFA has documented their findings regarding the feasibility of such practice. The adaptive response to intensive continuous exercise varies greatly depending on the sport played, and so the determination of normative cardiac values per sport has benefits when interpreting the standardised, sport-unspecific guidelines currently in place. The selection bias among some sports may also lead to a greater incidence of pathology associated with SCD.6 One of the challenges often faced by IF's in implementing a successful screening programme is the global representation of athletes. Historically, it was therefore …
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. data sharing statement The... more Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. data sharing statement There is no unpublished data.
Participation in sport has many physical, psychological and social benefits for the child athlete... more Participation in sport has many physical, psychological and social benefits for the child athlete. A growing body of evidence indicates, however, that sport participation may have inherent threats for the child's well-being. The subject of safeguarding children in sport has seen an increase in scientific study in recent years. In particular, there is increasing emphasis on identifying who is involved in abuse, the context of where it occurs and the identification of the various forms of abuse that take place in the sporting domain. Safeguarding principles developed by the International Safeguarding Children in Sport Founders Group are presented along with 8 underlying pillars which underpin the successful adoption and implementation of safeguarding strategies. This safeguarding model is designed to assist sport organisations in the creation of a safe sporting environment to ensure that the child athlete can flourish and reach their athletic potential through an enjoyable experience. The aim of this narrative review is to (1) present a summary of the scientific literature on the threats to children in sport; (2) introduce a framework to categorise these threats; (3) identify research gaps in the field and (4) provide safeguarding recommendations for sport organisations.
To describe the pattern of injuries and illnesses sustained during the Games of the XXXI Olympiad... more To describe the pattern of injuries and illnesses sustained during the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, hosted by Rio de Janeiro from 5 to 21 August 2016. We recorded the daily incidence of athlete injuries and illnesses (1) through the reporting of all National Olympic Committee (NOC) medical teams and (2) in the polyclinic and medical venues by the Rio 2016 medical staff. In total, 11 274 athletes (5089 women, 45%; 6185 men, 55%) from 207 NOCs participated in the study. NOC and Rio 2016 medical staff reported 1101 injuries and 651 illnesses, equalling 9.8 injuries and 5.4 illnesses per 100 athletes over the 17-day period. Altogether, 8% of the athletes incurred at least one injury and 5% at least one illness. The injury incidence was highest in BMX cycling (38% of the athletes injured), boxing (30%), mountain bike cycling (24%), taekwondo (24%), water polo (19%) and rugby (19%), and lowest in canoe slalom, rowing, shooting, archery, swimming, golf and table tennis (0%-3%). Of the 1101 ...
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Papers by M. Mountjoy