Beyond the field: injury and illness patterns among Team USA athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Abstract:

Objective: To (1) describe the incidence and characteristics of injuries and illnesses reported by Team USA athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games (PSOG) and Paralympic Games (PSPG); (2) compare injury and illness incidence between Olympic and Paralympic cohorts and (3) quantify the burden of respiratory and thermoregulatory illnesses under standard (post-COVID) public health conditions.

Methods: The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Injury and Illness Surveillance system was used to document the details of all injuries and illnesses reported by any of the 862 athletes, alternates and guides competing for Team USA in the PSOG and PSPG. Illness and injury incidence per 1000 athlete-days (AD) and incidence ratios (IR) were calculated, both with 95% CI.

Results: Team USA Paralympic athletes sustained 20.5 injuries per 1000 AD versus 14.6 among Olympic athletes (IR (95% CI): 1.4 (1.1 to 1.8)). Illness incidence was 15.7 per 1000 AD among Paralympic athletes versus 8.3 in Olympic athletes (IR (95% CI): 1.9 (1.4 to 2.6)). Among Team USA Paralympic athletes, injuries sustained outside of sport settings accounted for 38.5% (30/78) of all Paralympic injuries, the largest single setting category. The most common system affected by illness at both PSOG and PSPG was the respiratory system, with 7.4% of all athletes reporting a respiratory illness. Despite concerns ahead of the Games related to extreme heat, only two (0.3%) Olympic athletes and zero (0.0%) Paralympic athletes from Team USA reported a heat-related illness.

Conclusion: Injury and illness rates were higher among Team USA Paralympic athletes compared with Olympic athletes during the Paris 2024 Games. Respiratory illnesses were the most frequent medical problem, despite a pre-Games prevention campaign, highlighting the need for stronger infection-control strategies at future Games. The absence of heat illness suggests current heat-mitigation measures were effective. Comprehensive injury-prevention and illness-prevention strategies are needed for both Olympic and Paralympic athletes, with additional attention to the environmental and accessibility risks that disproportionately affect Paralympic competitors.