Comparison of injury risk between the 2008 Beijing2 and 2010 Vancouver3 Olympic Games
| Beijing 2008 | Vancouver 2010 | |
|---|---|---|
| Participating athletes | 10 977 | 2567 |
| Injuries (per 1000 athletes) | 1055 (96.1) | 287 (111.8) |
| Most common diagnosis | Ankle sprains (7%), thigh strains (7%) | Concussions (7%) |
| Most affected locations | Trunk (13%), thigh (13%), head/neck (12%), knee (12%) | Head/neck (16%), knee (14%), thigh (7%) |
| Most common mechanisms | Non-contact (20%), overuse (22%), contact with another athletes (33%) | Contact with another athlete (15%), contact with a stagnant object (22%), non-contact (23%) |
| Expected time-loss injuries | 50% | 23%* |
| Competition – training injuries | 73%–27% | 46%–54% |
| High-risk sports (injuries per 100 athletes) | Football, taekwondo, field hockey, handball, weightlifting | Snowboard cross, freestyle aerials and cross, bobsleigh, ice hockey |
| Low-risk sports (injuries per 100 athletes) | Canoeing/kayaking, diving, rowing, sailing, synchronised swimming, fencing | Nordic skiing disciplines, curling, speed skating |
↵* This figure may underestimate the number of time-loss injuries as the response rate to this information was low and many of the injuries were of severe outcome, without estimated time loss registered (more details in the Vancouver paper).3