One of the most alarming incidents involved American alpine skiing star Lindsey Vonn, who fell at high speed during training after clipping a gate.
Vonn had already suffered a severe knee injury days earlier in a World Cup race, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a key stabilising ligament in the knee.
Despite racing with a brace and planning to fight for a medal, she was badly hurt in the later crash.
Organisers reported a complex fracture of the tibia, the main shin bone, and a fracture of the head of the fibula, the smaller bone on the outside of the lower leg.
Vonn later said the situation became even more serious because she developed compartment syndrome, a dangerous condition in which bleeding or swelling rapidly increases pressure inside a muscle compartment.
It can lead to restricted blood flow and permanent tissue damage, and even require amputation if help is not provided quickly, she said in a recording posted on social media.
She is currently using a wheelchair and hopes to begin walking with crutches in a few weeks. Specialists expect the full bone-healing process to take about a year.
Researchers estimate that in alpine downhill skiing the risk of at least one injury per season for professional athletes is about 75 percent, with most injuries caused by falls or collisions.
Studies cited in the report suggest men are more exposed to general and upper-body injuries, while women face a higher risk of knee injuries.
Many occur during turning or landing, when forces on the knee can reach the equivalent of several times a skier’s body weight.
One cited study found that female skiers are nearly three times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than men.
A dramatic accident also involved Polish short-track speed skater Kamila Sellier, who fell during Olympic qualifying after contact with American skater Kristen Santos-Griswold.
As Sellier went down, she was accidentally struck by a skate near her eye. Blood appeared on the ice, and she left the track on a stretcher.
Doctors later operated on Sellier after diagnosing a fractured zygomatic bone, part of the cheekbone. Her eye was not damaged.
In a social media post, Sellier urged people not to blame the American athlete, describing the incident as an inherent risk of the sport.
“That’s the nature of this sport and we have to accept that risk every time we step onto the ice,” she wrote, adding that “no one wants this to happen.”
Crashes were reported in men’s four-man bobsleigh as well, with three teams involved in separate incidents.
Austria’s sled flipped in a turn and continued nearly to the finish upside down, with driver Jakob Mandblauer, whose head was most exposed, taken to hospital with serious injuries.
France’s sled later struck the sides of the track repeatedly before tipping over, though no one was seriously hurt.
A team from Trinidad and Tobago also crashed on the same track without major injuries.
Bobsleigh sleds can reach 130 to 155 kph, and on the fastest tracks often exceed 140 to 150 kph, raising the risk of catastrophic trauma.
The report recalled the fatal 2010 Olympic training crash of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who lost control at more than 140 kph on the final turn and was thrown from the track into a metal support pole.
Even when crashes are avoided, sliding sports such as bobsleigh, luge and skeleton can carry a significant risk of concussion.
A 2018 study cited in the report found that 13 to 18 percent of lugers experience concussions, with a set of symptoms informally known as “sled head,” including headaches, a sense of mental fog, and sometimes balance problems.
These symptoms are often linked to rough tracks or repeated runs, and concerns can be serious enough for some athletes to withdraw if a track is considered too uneven.
Researchers also report that winter athletes frequently deal with less severe but disruptive injuries, especially in freestyle skiing, snowboarding, alpine skiing, bobsleigh and ice hockey.
Common problems include injuries to knees, backs and spines, and wrists and hands, along with bruises, strains and sprains.
The report added that psychological strain can be as damaging as physical injury.
Figure skater Ilia Malinin, a gold-medal favourite, said he struggled mentally after two falls ended his medal hopes.
"I felt like all the traumatic moments of my life and negative thoughts were literally flooding my head,” he said. "I just couldn’t handle it."
Studies cited in the report suggest 20 to 35 percent of elite athletes report symptoms of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.
A Polish research project titled “From Paris to Los Angeles” surveyed 1,121 elite athletes, including Olympians, and found that 72.4 percent reported elevated stress.
About 51 percent recorded elevated results in at least one mental health area measured, including symptoms linked to depression, anxiety, sleep disorders or eating disorders.
The findings point to growing pressure on sports systems to provide stronger medical care and rehabilitation, along with professional psychological support and mental training to help athletes manage stress at the highest level.
(rt/gs)
Source: zdrowie.pap.pl