Relation of Team Size and Success With Injuries and Illnesses During Eight International Outdoor Athletics Championships

Abstract

Introduction: The number of injuries and illnesses during major athletics championships vary according to sex and discipline. They may also differ between countries (national teams) given the differences in training, medical care, nutrition, lifestyle habits, and in travel to the championships. In addition, injuries and illnesses may influence the performance during the championships. Therefore, the aim was to analyse the differences in the injury and illness occurrence during international outdoor athletics championships with regards to the athlete's country, as well as establishing the potential relationships with the success of the country during the respective championships. Method: The national medical teams and the local organizing committee physicians reported all injuries and illnesses daily on a standardized injury and illness report form during 4 World and 4 European outdoor championships from 2007 to 2018. Results were presented as number of registered athletes, injuries, illnesses and medals (absolute and per 1000 registered athletes), and for countries of different team size. Results: During these 8 championships, a total of 219 different countries participated with a total of 13059 registered athletes who incurred 1315 injuries and 550 illnesses. The number of injuries and illnesses per championships varied between countries. Countries with higher numbers of registered athletes had a higher number of injuries and illnesses, as well as a higher number of medals and gold medals. There were significant positive correlations between number of injuries/illnesses and number of registered athletes, medals, gold medals. Injury and illness numbers per 1,000 registered athletes differed between countries and team sizes. Analyzing country participation grouped according to the number of registered athletes, there were significant negative correlations between injury/illness and medals/gold medals per 1,000 registered athletes. Conclusions: Given the correlation between health problems and country size, we suggest that medical services provision and staff should be adapted to the team size. In groups of different country team sizes, lower number of injuries and illnesses per registered athletes were correlated with higher number of medals and gold medals per registered athletes, which can support that injury and illness prevention should be recognized as a win-win performance-prevention strategy.

In-competition injuries and performance success in combined events during major international athletics championships

“…Although it seems logical that an injured athlete reduces his/her chance of performance success, in agreement with previous results, [5][6][7] it is important to provide objective data that injury is associated with a higher odd of performance failure (i.e. lower odds of winning a medal).…”

“…Combined events in outdoor and indoor championships for male and female athletes (presented in the official order). athletics 5,6 and other sports, 7 injuries have been reported to have a direct negative impact on the performance. This has not been analysed in detail for combined events, although it could be of interest for implementation of injury prevention measures.…”

Biomechanical Pole Vault Patterns Were Associated With a Higher Proportion of Injuries

“…But it is important to note that catastrophic injuries have also been described (Boden et al, 2001(Boden et al, , 2012. In other epidemiological studies on injuries in athletics, pole vaulters were included in the groups of jumpers making impossible the distinction of the specific injury risk and characteristics of pole vaulters (Watson and Dimartino, 1987;D'Souza, 1994;Bennell and Crossley, 1996;Edouard et al, 2011Edouard et al, , 2015aJacobsson et al, 2012Jacobsson et al, , 2013.…”

Lower limb muscle injury location shift from posterior lower leg to hamstring muscles with increasing discipline-related running velocity in international athletics championships

“…more medals and gold medals). 3 Thus, reduction of LLMI represents one of the possibilities to improve success in major athletics championships.…”