The 2014 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport came to a close earlier this month, in Monaco. Dr. Rickey Davis represented the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) as chair of its established Medical Commission.
The meetings, described by many delegates as the most constructive yet for researchers and practitioners in the field of sports medicine and injury prevention, were attended by a record 980 participants from 81 countries, and included 113 speakers, five keynote lectures, 24 symposia, 76 workshops and 202 abstracts; a remarkable increase at all levels from the last edition in 2011.
The conference was the second organized by the IOC, and was attended by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, president of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Monaco and IOC member, fellow IOC member Dr. Robin Mitchell, IOC Medical Director Richard Budgett, IOC Head of Scientific Activities Lars Engebretsen and a large number of world-renowned experts in the fields of sports medicine and injury and illness prevention.
Experts, team physicians from NOC and international federations and students exchanged news of the latest research and advances in the prevention of injury and illness in athletes. Several symposia and workshops on the application of the field's current knowledge highlighted that information awareness is improving.
"We went into the conference with high expectations and these were exceeded on every front," said IOC Medical Director Dr. Richard Budgett. "From the opening session with HSH Prince Albert II, all participants threw themselves into the workshops, keynotes, symposia and poster sessions delivered by inspirational researchers and practitioners."
He added: "The conference will change the practice of prevention, boost further research and protect the health of athletes everywhere. The success is a tribute to all those who worked so hard to bring this unique three-yearly conference to fruition; to our wonderful hosts in Monaco and, most of all, to the nearly 1,000 delegates who brought it to life and will ensure that their new understanding and knowledge translates into action, in particular in preventing injuries and illnesses in athletes all over the world: until we meet again, in three years' time."
Dr. Davis agrees that the protection of athletes' health is a top priority for the BOC; he said, "we will invite our
national federations to join the BOC and the Bahamas Anti-Doping Commission in our efforts to educate and assist our athletes and their personnel with adopting healthy, clean practices with a view of protecting the athletes' health and preventing unwarranted injuries."
It is said that the BOC is working together with different stakeholders to make this objective a reality. The BOC partnered with Integra MRI Center as official provider of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) empowering elite athlete care. The services are offered free of charge to athletes named to all games under the auspices of the Bahamas Olympic Committee.
The conference was followed by a three-day Advanced Team Physician Course in Mandelieu, France.
While there are many health benefits that can be derived from the practice of sport, there is also an inherent risk of injury and illness, especially at the elite level. The IOC has therefore initiated and supported research on various topics related to the health of athletes, with the ultimate objective of significantly reducing injuries and illnesses in sport.
The IOC also conducts an extensive surveillance study during each edition of the Olympic Games, collecting invaluable information on all athlete injuries and illnesses acquired during competition and training, in order to gain further knowledge about the effectiveness and weaknesses of existing prevention programs.
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