The Olympic Games are not the only premier sports event for the Olympic athletes. Increasingly, sports medicine and various science organisations are taking advantage of the Olympic Games and conducting world sports medicine major events. One of those premier events is probably the International Convention on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport (ICSEMIS), taking place in Glasgow between 19 and 24 July 2012, preceding the Games in London. Several organisations has built ICSEMIS namely, the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education, the International Federation of Sports Medicine, IOC – the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee, and worked with a consortium from Great Britain consisting of the Brunel University, Liverpool John Moores University, Strathclyde University, Ulster University and University of Wales Institute Cardiff to design an outstanding programme geared towards sports science researchers as well as sport medicine clinicians. For 5 days, you can choose among 15 parallel sessions and keynote lectures on sports sciences and medicine. Highlights of the programme are The Olympic Health Legacy, Sport and Violence to Children in Sport, Genetics and Sports Performance, Gender Verification in Sports, Sports Management, Biological Passports, Exercise in the Treatment of Cancer, Ethics and Elite Sports and Exercise is Medicine (realising the health benefits of physical activity, and how the physician can prescribe physical activity for health). The combination of the ICSEMIS congress and the IOC congress of prevention of injuries and illness is currently the premier event for sports science and medicine researchers.

During the London Games, the IOC will run a symposia for practising sports physician and physiotherapists. The primary focus of team sports medicine members is, of course, to keep the athletes healthy. Furthermore, during the 17 days of the 2012 Olympics, approximately 1000 sport medicine specialists will be offered sports medicine courses, organised and held by the IOC for the elite athletes in important areas. As one of these topics, Antonio Pellucida will run the team physicians through the current issues in sports cardiology. IOC has developed several practical courses on sports trauma and ultrasound imaging techniques, and will have the latest on lower extremities overuse and stress fracture diagnosis and treatment. During the team-physician meetings, the latest in sports injury and disease prevention will be discussed as well as the current antidoping regulation(s) and its ongoing work. Team physiotherapists will have workshops every other day on throwing injuries to shoulder, current rehabilitation guidelines for anterior cruciate ligament injury, myofascial pain, ankle ligament sprains and on sports tendinopathy in achilles and patella tendons. In addition, there will be demonstrations every day of the latest items in sports injury evaluation and therapy.

The IOC with the National Olympic Committees and International Federations will run the injury and illness surveillance system. As was in Beijing1 and Vancouver,2 the monitoring of the athletes' health will enable us to follow the injury and disease trends in various sports and continue to focus on the primary goal of the IOC – to protect the health of athletes.

Good luck with the final preparations. See you in London!