Sports medicine in the Netherlands – focus and collaboration bring success

Abstract

The summer of 2024 was dominated by spectacular sporting events, first and foremost by the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Netherlands achieved a credible sixth place in the medal ranking of nations in the Olympic Games and a fourth place in the Paralympic Games. How does a small country (18 million inhabitants) achieve such success? The answer may be focus and collaboration. The Netherlands Olympic Committee has been focusing for at least 30 years on supporting those athletes who have a good chance of reaching the finals and preferably winning a medal at the highest international level. Tough choices are not avoided. If an athlete cannot meet the performance requirements, support is no longer provided. A multidisciplinary group of experts is placed around an individual athlete or team, all of whom must collaborate in support of the athletes and contribute to optimise performance. Sports medicine physicians are an integral part of the support teams, managing and preventing injuries and (legally!) facilitating improved performance. Sports medical education is an important component of the support programme. Athletes learn to register their own injuries and illnesses so that they gain insight into which circumstances contribute to overload and injury. In the Netherlands, para-athletes can access the same support as their non-impaired colleagues. A report by the Dutch Sports Council, an independent advisory body that focuses on highlighting the significance of sports and exercise for society, has made an important contribution to further improve the supporting facilities for para-athletes. The name of the 2022 report is ‘Equal and inclusive, advice on …