Jet Lag and COVID-19: Extra Challenges for Athletes during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games demanded great efforts and had become extremely challenging compared with previous competitions. In addition to the physical performance of each modality, athletes had to deal with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and jet lag. The present manuscript pointed out negative factors that encompass the COVID-19 pandemic and the features brought out by the jet lag experienced by the athletes of this last Olympics. The influences of the pandemic and the procedures adopted to reduce transmission risk of the virus may have amplified the weight of jet lag for the athletes of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, even more considering the occurrence of this event in the far east of the globe.

Fighting for Olympic dreams and life beyond: Olympian judokas on striving for glory and tackling post-athletic challenges

Objectives

This study explores the experiences of Olympian judokas, examining both their pursuit of excellence to compete at the Olympics and their subsequent transition out of judo. The aim is to offer empirical evidence regarding the challenges they face in realizing their Olympic dreams, and to shed light on the transitional challenges, available resources, and needs they face as they move toward post-athletic lives.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with eight Olympian judokas: five males and three females, all of whom have retired from competitive judo. These participants are from Portugal (n = 1), Republic of Korea (n = 2), and the United Kingdom (n = 5). We employed thematic analysis, which led to the identification of five main themes: (a) From Dreams to Olympic Reality, (b) Facing the Void: Loss of Goals and Identity, (c) The Crucial Role of Social Support, (d) Dual Aspects of Pre-Retirement Planning, and (e) The Double Edge of Organizational Support.

Findings

The findings highlight the significant challenges faced by Olympian judokas, including goal and identity loss post-retirement, and the need for comprehensive and accessible organizational support, particularly psychological assistance, to assist in their transition to post-athletic life.

Implications

The findings not only enhance our understanding of judokas' experiences during transition but also offer insights that could guide the development of tailored support programs. It is critical for sport governing bodies and practitioners to apply these insights in creating comprehensive and easily accessible support systems, which will ensure a smoother transition to post-athletic life for high-performance athletes.

Population-Level Immunity for Transient Suppression of COVID-19 Waves in Japan from April 2021 to September 2022

Multiple COVID-19 waves have been observed worldwide, with varying numbers of positive cases. Population-level immunity can partly explain a transient suppression of epidemic waves, including immunity acquired after vaccination strategies. In this study, we aimed to estimate population-level immunity in 47 Japanese prefectures during the three waves from April 2021 to September 2022. For each wave, characterized by the predominant variants, namely, Delta, Omicron, and BA.5, the estimated rates of population-level immunity in the 10-64-years age group, wherein the most positive cases were observed, were 20%, 35%, and 45%, respectively. The number of infected cases in the BA.5 wave was inversely associated with the vaccination rates for the second and third injections. We employed machine learning to replicate positive cases in three Japanese prefectures to validate the reliability of our model for population-level immunity. Using interpolation based on machine learning, we estimated the impact of behavioral factors and vaccination on the fifth wave of new positive cases that occurred during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Our computational results highlighted the critical role of population-level immunity, such as vaccination, in infection suppression. These findings underscore the importance of estimating and monitoring population-level immunity to predict the number of infected cases in future waves. Such estimations that combine numerical derivation and machine learning are of utmost significance for effective management of medical resources, including the vaccination strategy.

Necessity and challenges for the post-pandemic Hangzhou Asian Games: An interdisciplinary data science assessment

Background

The postponement of the Hangzhou Asian Games has reignited controversy over whether it is necessary and safe to hold. This study aimed to assess its necessity for Asian elite sport and the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic through joint data science research on elite sports and public health Internet big data.

Methods

For necessity, we used seven pre-pandemic Asian Games to investigate its long-term internal balance and six pre-pandemic Olympic Games to examine its contribution to the external competitiveness of Asian sport powers through bivariate Pearson correlation analyses between sport variables and holding year. For challenges, we used Johns Hopkins COVID-19 data and Tokyo 2020 Olympic data to quantify the past impact of the pandemic on elite sport by another correlation analysis between pandemic variables and the change in the weighted score of medal share (CWSMS), built a transferable linear regression model, transferred the model to Jakarta 2018 Asian Games data, and eventually forecasted the possible impact of the pandemic on the results of the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Results

The proportion of gold medal countries in the Asian Games showed a long-term upward trend (Pearson r ₍₇₎ = 0.849, p < 0.05), and the share of medals won by Asian countries showed a significant increasing process (Pearson r ₍₆₎ = 0.901, p < 0.05). The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths (CND) was most significantly correlated to CWSMS (Pearson r ₍₁₀₀₎ = -0.455, p < 0.001). The total Olympic model output of Asian countries was 0.0115 in Tokyo 2020 and is predicted to be 0.0093 now. The prediction of CWSMS in Hangzhou was 0.0013 for China, 0.0006 for Japan, and 0.0008 for South Korea.

Conclusion

We documented that Asian Games played a significant role in the long-term balanced internal structure and the increasing global competitiveness of Asian elite sport. We proved that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the Olympic performance of countries worldwide, while the competitive performance at the Hangzhou Games would be less affected than the world average level. This study also highlights the importance of interdisciplinary data science research on large-scale sports events and public health.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection upon Leaving the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Objective Just before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Japan, the number of people infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), started to increase at an unprecedented rate. This study investigated the effectiveness of vaccines in large-scale sporting events under difficult circumstances, such as during adherence to a bubble system and confinement inside the Olympic/Paralympic Village. Methods In collaboration with medical clinics inside and outside the Village, a prospective cohort study was conducted among overseas participants using the results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for SARS-CoV-2 upon leaving Japan. Results A total of 12,072 foreign participants were enrolled, 13 (0.11%) of whom had a positive PCR test result. None of these cases were broadcasters or members of the press, were tested outside the Olympic Village, or had a history of COVID-19 infection. The effectiveness of full vaccination and vaccination at least once (≥14 days ago) was 74% [95% confidence interval (CI): 6-93%] and 81% (95% CI: 30-95%), respectively. Three breakthrough infections with the Delta variant were observed in 6,485 fully vaccinated participants (0.05%). The positivity rate was 0.09% among adherents to the bubble system and 0.28% among non-adherents, but this difference was not significant. Conclusion These findings indicate that even huge sporting events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games can proceed while pandemics are ongoing in the host country by combining countermeasures such as vaccination, frequent testing, social distancing, and adherence to a bubble system.

Knowledge management in sport mega-events: A systematic literature review

Introduction

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to describe and explore the current state-of-the-art of sport mega-event knowledge management research.

Methods

Following the PRISMA protocol, the authors conducted a systematic search of academic and gray literature in sport, social sciences, and humanities databases. From the initial 1,751 studies reviewed, 16 met the inclusion criteria.

Findings

In these studies, knowledge management in sport mega-events was mainly researched in the context of the Olympic Games. Compared with other events, the Olympic Games built a more formal knowledge management programme, which may explain why it attracted more attention.

Discussion

Most of the studies highlighted the importance of tacit knowledge and individuals, as well as the needs of different stakeholder groups. Findings showed that social, cultural, political, and historical differences between hosts weaken the effect of knowledge management. Many of the published empirical studies are descriptive investigations and lack support of related theories or conceptual frameworks. The impacts of knowledge management process on the host regions and knowledge transfer between events and local stakeholders have been little explored.

Effects of long-haul transmeridian travel on physiological, sleep, perceptual and mood markers in Olympic team support staff

The objective of this study was to holistically examine the impact of long-haul transmeridian travel (LHTT) on perceptual, mood, sleep and physiological markers in Olympic team support staff travelling to Japan for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. An observational descriptive study design was used. Nine support staff members of the Irish Olympic team (2 M/7 F; age 34.3 ± 8.3 y (mean ±SD)) embarked on a long-haul (LH) eastward flight across eight time-zones from Ireland to Japan (approx. 24 h total travel time), to work at the Irish Team's 2020 Summer pre-Olympic Games camp, postponed to July 2021 due to Covid-19 pandemic. Perceived jet lag and travel fatigue symptoms, mood states and salivary markers for circadian rhythm and stress were assessed in the morning and evening during the week prior to travel as baseline (BL) measures and on days 1 to 8 (C1-C8) and day 15 (C15) post-travel. Night-time sleep (duration and quality) was monitored via actigraphy monitors and self-report sleep diaries. Participants perceived themselves to be significantly jet lagged for six days post-travel (p < .05). Morning sCort decreased by 66% on C1 and remained significantly lower than BL until C6 (p ≤ .03). On arrival participants perceived sleep to be worse than BL on arrival (C1, C2, C4, C5; p ≤ .04), with significantly shorter sleep duration (C2, C3, C6; p ≤ .01) and lower sleep efficiency (C2, C6; p ≤ .04) recorded by actigraphy, all normalizing by C7. Negative changes in mood states were evident in the evening time following LHTT, with significant elevations in confusion (C2, C3, p ≤ .02), fatigue (C2, C3; p ≤ .03) and depression (C3, C7; p < .05) and reduction in vigour (C2, C6, C7; p < .05). Following LHTT in an eastward direction across eight time-zones, it took seven days for perceived jet lag, physiological markers for circadian rhythm and sleep to normalize in Olympic team support staff. Despite alleviation of jet lag and fatigue and return of sleep to normal by C15, vigor remained low, indicating a "submerged" mood profile in these Olympic team support staff. These findings highlight the need to put strategies in place before and after LHTT for the Olympic Games to assist Olympic team support staff to maximize sleep, minimize stress and assist with expediating recovery from jet lag and travel fatigue, allowing them to perform optimally in supporting Olympic athletes in their final preparations for the Games.

Games and genes: human diversity meets cytogenetics-Mexico 1968

The 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico included innovative practices and technological knowledge of human biology. The first time that cytogenetic techniques had been applied to athletes was in the 1966 European Athletics Championship in Budapest and used on Olympic athletes for the first time in Mexico in 1968. The Genetics and Human Biology Program (Programa de Genética y Biología Humanas, PGBH) was created for this purpose in 1966 in close collaboration with the Local Organizing Committee (Comité Organizador, CO), by Mexican geneticists Alfonso León de Garay and Rodolfo Félix Estrada who led the project. The main objective was to study the genetic and anthropological components which determine an Olympic athlete's abilities. This investigation studied 1,265 game participants and included family studies, cytological analyses, research on single genes, and the study of sex determination. In terms of influence beyond Mexico, this Program was significant as a site of transnational collaboration. It mobilized cognitive and financial resources, scientific practices, and material culture to set up a clinical laboratory in the Olympic Village. The Program also hosted three international seminars in Mexico City, two before the games, to calibrate clinical trials and anthropological tests. One in 1969 to analyze the results and proceed to their publication in 1974. This manuscript will focus on the PGBH to show how its work fits in the larger tapestry of post-1945 human biological studies. Also, to explore how the Olympic athlete populations studied can be considered laboratories of knowledge production or sites of cognition conceived as specific entities for scientific inquiry, standardization of medical practices, and the production or application of medicines. Finally, through the narrative of the different trajectories and collaborations of the leaders of the PGBH, this manuscript will show how contact between their scientific practices brought cytogenetics and sports together.

The structural deficit of the Olympics and the World Cup: Comparing costs against revenues over time

The Olympic Games and the Football World Cups are among the most expensive projects in the world. While available theoretical explanations suggest that the revenues of mega-events are overestimated and the costs underestimated, there is no comprehensive empirical study on whether costs exceed revenues. Based on a custom-built database from public sources, this article compares the revenues and costs of the Olympic Games and World Cups between 1964 and 2018 (N = 43), together totalling close to USD 70 billion in revenues and more than USD 120 billion in costs. It finds that costs exceeded revenues in most cases: more than four out of five Olympics and World Cups ran a deficit. The average return-on-investment for an event was negative (- 38%), with mean costs of USD 2.8 billion exceeding mean revenues of USD 1.7 billion per event. The 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South Korea recorded the highest absolute deficits. The Summer Olympics 1984 in Los Angeles, the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver and the 2018 World Cup in Russia are among the few events that posted a surplus. The article concludes that the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup suffer from a structural deficit and could not exist without external subsidies. This finding urges a re-evaluation of these events as loss-making ventures that lack financial sustainability.

The athletic characteristics of Olympic sports to assist anti-doping strategies

The determinants of success in Olympic Games competition are specific to the athletic demands of the sporting event. A global evaluation to quantify the athletic demands across the spectrum of the Olympic Games sport events has not previously been conducted. Thus far, the interpretation and the comparison of sport physiological characteristics within anti-doping organisations (ADOs) risk assessments remains subjective without a standardised framework. Despite its subjective assessment, this information is a key component of any anti-doping programme. Sport characteristics inevitably influence the type of substances and/or methods used for doping purpose and should be captured through a comprehensive analysis. Seven applied sport scientists independently conducted an assessment to quantify the athletic demands across six preselected athletic variables. A Principal Component Analysis was performed on the results of the panel's quantitative assessment for 160 Olympic Sport events. Sport events were clustered using the Hierarchical Density Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (HDBSCAN) algorithm. The HDBSCAN identified 19 independent cluster groups, 36 sport events remained statistically unassigned to a cluster group representing unique and eventspecific athletic demands. This investigation provides guidance to the anti-doping community to assist in the development of the sport specific physiology component of the risk assessment for Olympic Games disciplines. The dominant athletic characteristics to excel in each of these individual events will highlight areas of how athletes may strive to gain a competitive advantage through doping strategies, and inform the development of an effective and proportionate allocation of testing resources.

Preliminary Study of the Psychometric Properties of a Questionnaire to Assess Spanish Canoeists' Perceptions of the Sport System's Capacity for Talent Development in Women's Canoeing

Given the importance of sport at a global level, the competitiveness of sport systems is a determining factor in attracting resources from different sectors. Competitiveness is largely measured by the athletes’ level. Therefore, the production of competitive talent is an aspect that occupies the managers of different sports systems. This study analyzed the factor structure and reliability of a questionnaire for the evaluation of the perceptions of actors of a sport (canoeing) on the ability of the national system to produce talent in one of its modalities recently incorporated in the Olympic Games (OG) of Tokyo 2021. The sample consisted of 167 individuals linked to Spanish canoeing, who responded to the questionnaire “Evaluation of the current position in canoeing-sport with regard to talent” of the International Canoe Federation (ICF). Exploratory, confirmatory and reliability factor analyses were performed. The results showed a one-dimensional factor structure composed of seven items, with good and excellent goodness-of-fit values and high reliability (McDonald’s Omega = 0.82). Thus, the ICF questionnaire can be considered a quick and easy to apply tool to analyze the perceptions about the development of talent in canoeing in order to take actions for the recruitment, promotion and development of talent.

The challenges of equestrian arena surfaces: the unprecedented use of a raised platform at the 2012 Olympic Games

The design of equestrian arenas can be challenged by time constraints and specific restrictions at a venue but are nonetheless a critical element to the success and sustainability of equestrian sport. The equestrian arenas for the 2012 Olympic Games were an example of a temporary arena constructed on a raised platform and supported by struts, a design unprecedented for equestrian activities. This study assessed the developmental stages of the Olympic surfaces from 2011 to the actual event in 2012 and aimed to confirm that accelerations and forces experienced by horses were comparable to those on solid ground. Assessment took place at i) the Olympic test-event; ii) a developmental mock-up arena and iii) the Olympic venue in 2012. A Clegg impact hammer measured peak vertical deceleration and an Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester quantified peak load and peak loading rate. General Linear Models using the arena's structural features as explanatory variables highlighted surface heterogeneity. Peak vertical deceleration (P < .0001) and peak load (P < .0001) were significantly higher and peak loading rate was significantly lower (P < .0001) following iterative testing and modifications to the arena. Data were comparable with surfaces on solid ground by the final testing at the 2012 Olympic Games. Findings highlighted the importance of testing surfaces throughout their development and demonstrated the impact that surface composition, time elapsed since installation, water management, and type of construction have on surface functional properties, with relevance to future temporary arena initiatives.

Dr. Richard C. Nelson: The Founding Father of Biomechanics

Recollections on meetings with Dick Nelson in the 1970s, his interactions with Soviet authorities, his impact on data collection at Olympic Games, and his work as the President of the International Society of Biomechanics.

Medical care provision at the venue of the weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the medical care provided at the venue of the weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated athletes who availed of medical services at the venue during the weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. In total, 194 athletes participated in the weightlifting competition.Injuries and illnesses were classified into cases handled without physician or cases requiring medical examination by a physician. These were tabulated for each examination location (athlete medical station, field of play [FOP], first-aid station of training floor or warm-up area).

Results

Throughout the event, a cumulative total of 132 people used the venue medical services. Nine athletes required medical attention at the athlete medical stations. Of these nine cases, six occurred on the training floor. In the FOP, nine athletes were examined. Two experienced light-headedness, two had knee pain, and the rest had other symptoms. No athletes wanted to undergo medical examination at the athlete medical station. 89 medical procedures were performed in the first-aid station on the training floor, including 52 tapings and 37 ice compressions, and the most frequent body part which needed treatment was the knee, followed by the fingers. At the first-aid station on the match floor, 25 medical procedures were performed, including 17 ice compressions, 5 haemostasis, and 4 tapings. The body parts that most frequently needed treatment were the fingers, knees, and lower legs.

Conclusion

Several athletes needed treatment; however, only a few required medical care from a physician.

Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Adult Athletes: A Scoping Review

Background and Objectives: Sport-related musculoskeletal injuries (MSK-Is) are a common health issue in athletes that can lead to reduced performance. The aim of this scoping review was to synthetize available evidence on injury incidence rates (IIRs), types, and sites that affect the musculoskeletal (MSK) system of adult athletes. Materials and Methods: We performed a scoping review on the Pubmed database limiting our search to 33 Olympic sports. Results: We identified a total of 1022 papers, and of these 162 were examined in full for the purpose of this review. Archery was the sport with the highest risk of injuries to the upper extremities, marathons for the lower extremities, and triathlon and weightlifting for the body bust. In the majority of the sports examined, muscle/tendon strain and ligament sprain were the most common MSK-Is diagnoses, while athletics, karate, and football were the sports with the highest IIRs, depending on the methods used for their calculations. Conclusions: Our scoping review highlighted the general lack and dishomogeneity in the collection of data on MSK-Is in athletes.

The Perceived Corporate Social Responsibility of Major Sport Organizations by the German Public: An Empirical Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sport governing bodies have played a special role in society during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following stakeholder theory and consumption capital theory, this study investigated the actions of the German Bundesliga (DFL), Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during this phase as perceived by the German population and through the lens of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Based on a representative sample of the German resident population (N = 1,000), the study examined the individual characteristics that influenced the perceived CSR of these organizations and what population clusters emerged from this perception. The survey applied a CSR scale that was previously validated in a professional team sports context. The results confirmed the equally strong applicability of the scale to the sport governing context. Cluster analysis yielded three distinctive clusters, namely, “supporters,” “neutral observers,” and “critics.” Regression analyses and the cluster analysis identified those with frequent consumption and high involvement in sport as rating the actions of the three sport organizations more positively. They are also more strongly represented in the “supporters” cluster. In contrast, those threatened the most by the virus are overrepresented in the “critics” cluster.

Embedding Child Rights Principles and Practises in Mega Sport Event Planning

Recently, there has been growing concern about the lack of intentionality of mega sport event (MSE) organisers in ensuring that child rights are adequately respected, protected and promoted before, during, and after the events take place. In the context of the summer Olympic Games, reported child rights infringements have been on the rise, both in relation to abuse in sport itself and the negative consequences associated with planning and delivering the Games. In response to reports of child rights infringements, a coalition of actors, including non-governmental and civil society organisations have sought to pressure event owners and organisers to strengthen protections in the planning and delivery of their events. To date, however, child rights commitments have not been fully embedded in policies and principles guiding the planning and delivery of the Olympic Games. In this article, we explore the field of child rights in the context of the Olympic Games, focusing on a case study of the Tokyo 2020 edition. Drawing on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with Tokyo 2020 stakeholders and affiliates, detailed appraisal of the planning process was undertaken. Findings show that while the Japanese authorities have signed up to international child rights conventions and embedded some child participation strategies in Games-related activity, there was little evidence that Tokyo 2020 organisers had developed or implemented robust policies, principles or practises to respect, protect and promote child rights in Games planning. This absence, we argue, is because there was no requirement to embed child rights commitments during the bidding or planning phases, as the IOC had yet to enshrine human rights in its host city contract when the Games were first awarded to Tokyo. In conclusion, we argue that it is imperative the IOC embeds child rights principles and protocols in the bidding and planning processes to ensure that the risks to children are foregrounded and acted upon by host cities and their partners, elevating human rights to a position equal to other Games requirements. This study is of international significance as the evidence will aid future host city bidders to ensure children's rights are embedded in MSE policies for each nation.

Performance and thermoregulation of Dutch Olympic and Paralympic athletes exercising in the heat: Rationale and design of the Thermo Tokyo study: The journal Temperature toolbox

The environmental conditions during the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to be challenging, which increases the risk for participating athletes to develop heat-related illnesses and experience performance loss. To allow safe and optimal exercise performance of Dutch elite athletes, the Thermo Tokyo study aimed to determine thermoregulatory responses and performance loss among elite athletes during exercise in the heat, and to identify personal, sports-related, and environmental factors that contribute to the magnitude of these outcomes. For this purpose, Dutch Olympic and Paralympic athletes performed two personalized incremental exercise tests in simulated control (15°C, relative humidity (RH) 50%) and Tokyo (32°C, RH 75%) conditions, during which exercise performance and (thermo)physiological parameters were obtained. Thereafter, athletes were invited for an additional visit to conduct anthropometric, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and 3D scan measurements. Collected data also served as input for a thermophysiological computer simulation model to estimate the impact of a wider range of environmental conditions on thermoregulatory responses. Findings of this study can be used to inform elite athletes and their coaches on how heat impacts their individual (thermo)physiological responses and, based on these data, advise which personalized countermeasures (i.e. heat acclimation, cooling interventions, rehydration plan) can be taken to allow safe and maximal performance in the challenging environmental conditions of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Return to competition after anterior cruciate ligament injuries in world class judoka

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to quantify how the return to competition after an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in Judo is perceived by athletes as compared to doctors and physiotherapists. Is there a difference between the perspectives of doctors and physiotherapists and athletes regarding surgery, time loss due to injury, or the level of performance after the injury? Which functional tests are used to define when or if athletes are ready for the return to competition?

METHODS

A survey-based retrospective study design with two surveys regarding the treatment methods of an anterior cruciate ligament rupture was established: one version for athletes and one for doctors and physiotherapists. Surveys were equivalent for both populations despite the athletes' individual data. Variance analysis was applied to assess if statistically meaningful differences exist between the two groups.

RESULTS

From 232 judoka interviewed during the Junior World Judo Championships 2017, 23 suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in the last 2 years. As high as 52% underwent surgery. According to doctors and physiotherapists, 82% of athletes underwent reconstructive surgeries. Athletes returned to competition after 5.5 months, whereas doctors and physiotherapists assumed a time loss of 8.4 months. Only 44% of the doctors and physiotherapists used functional tests like hop tests for defining return to competition and 22% used mental tests. When asking athletes, the use of hop tests (8%) and mental tests (0%) was even lower.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrated for the first time significant discrepancies between the medical treatment regarding the recommendations of doctors and physiotherapists compared to athletes behavior. To support a conclusive statement, we should encourage the doctors and physiotherapists to use functional test batteries for the decision-making process regarding return to competition.

Predicting Breaststroke and Butterfly Stroke Results in Swimming Based on Olympics History

Here we describe historic variations in Olympic breaststroke and butterfly performance and predict swimming results for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The results of the finalists, winners, and last participants in the women’s and men’s finals were analyzed, and a mathematical predictive model was created. The predicted times for the future Olympics were presented. Swimming performance among Olympians has been steadily improving, with record times of 18.51 s for female finalists in the 100 m butterfly (a 24.63% improvement) and 31.33 s for male finalists in the 200 m butterfly (21.44%). The results in all analyzed groups showed improvement in athletic performance, and the gap between the finalists has narrowed. Women Olympians’ performances have improved faster than men’s, reducing the gap between genders. We conclude that swimming performance among Olympians is continuing to improve.

Geographical heterogeneity of doping-related knowledge, beliefs and attitude among 533 Youth Olympics participants

OBJECTIVES

Doping-related knowledge, beliefs and attitude influence adolescent athletes' susceptibility to prohibited performance-enhancing substances. They might be modified by different cultural backgrounds. This study's aim was to analyse the geographical heterogeneity of doping-related knowledge, beliefs and attitude among adolescent elite athletes.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A questionnaire was distributed to athletes participating in the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2020 in Switzerland. Main outcomes ('subjective and actual knowledge', 'beliefs' and 'attitude') were stratified for athletes' region of origin. Geographical heterogeneity was tested with a two-way analysis of variance, and two multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess independent associations of knowledge, age and athletes' geographical region with doping-related beliefs and attitude.

RESULTS

533 athletes (54% females, mean age: 16.0 ± 1.0 years), completed the questionnaire (response rate: 33%). Actual knowledge was moderate-to-good (9.2 ± 2.9 correct answers out of 13), and scores of attitude and beliefs showed favourable patterns. Considerable geographical heterogeneity was found for knowledge (p < 0.001), beliefs (p = 0.004) and attitude (p < 0.001). Higher subjective knowledge and actual knowledge were favourably associated with attitude (β = -0.096, p = 0.049; β = -0.316, p < 0.001) and beliefs (β = 0.120, p = 0.016; β = 0.212, p < 0.001), independent of age and geographical region.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates considerable geographical heterogeneity of doping-related knowledge, beliefs and attitude, which are three essential target factors of doping prevention in adolescent elite athletes. This evidence should encourage medical doctors and other professionals to change their educative anti-doping approach from teaching knowledge about negative consequences into investigating and forming a young athlete's mind-set.

Athlete's Perceptions of a "Quarantine" Training Camp During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Globally, COVID-19-related movement restrictions have caused significant disruption to athlete's training and sporting competitions. "Quarantine" camps are one approach to maintain sport-specific training, whilst minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission between athletes and society. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of a "quarantine" training camp on athlete's routines and wellbeing, performance support, perceived stress and sleep behaviors. A survey was completed at the end of a 30-day "quarantine" camp, by 76 elite athletes (17-46 years), predominantly (~80%) Olympic/Paralympic and/or world championship representatives. Athletes described their experiences in comparison to; pre-lockdown training and/or training during "lockdown" (immediately prior to the "quarantine" camp). Compared to "lockdown," the "quarantine" camp revealed improvements (p < 0.05; 0.33 ≤ d ≤ 0.90) in access to sport-specific training (28.6%), recovery facilities (22.2%), nutritional choices (17.5%), mental (12.4%) and emotional (11.4%) health, training motivation (20.0%); and perceived stress (7.4%, d = -0.27, p = 0.026). The camp resulted in a lower sleep duration (-8.5%, d = -0.73, p = 0.014), but an improved global sleep behavior score (-5.6%, d = -0.22, p = 0.001). During the camp, the performance support athletes received was not different to pre-lockdown (p > 0.05), but there was greater sports massage (20.4%, d = 0.39) and physiotherapy usage (18.1%, d = 0.36) (both p < 0.05). The adverse effects of lockdown were restored during the camp. A "quarantine" camp may offer comparable training experiences to pre-lockdown training, without inducing additional perceived stress. Coaches and sporting organizations may consider this approach as part of a virus mitigation strategy, whilst maintaining sport-specific training.

20 Years of Olympic Media Research: Trends and Future Directions

The Olympic Games is the largest multisport event in the world, regularly drawing global audiences in the billions to watch coverage of athletes from hundreds of nations. It has received a great deal of scholarly attention, especially in terms of media coverage, consumption, and co-creation. As coverage has the ability to impact media consumers' perceptions of nations, cultures, and issues, it is important to develop an understanding of research trends relating to the Olympic Games and media in order to uncover gaps in the literature which may be filled by future scholarly work. Therefore, in order to highlight trends in the established literature and uncover areas for development, a systematic literature review was conducted to examine the state of Olympic media research over a 20-year time period (1999–2018). A total of 221 articles were examined, revealing insights into the types of research being produced from theoretical, methodological, and contextual perspectives. Results revealed a significant proportion of scholarship focused on the Summer Olympic Games, the United States, newspaper accounts of the Games, and utilized media framing and agenda setting frameworks and the content analysis methodology. Just over half of the studies utilized a theoretical or conceptual framework, the prevalence of which increased over time. Core areas for continued development in the Olympic media space include embracing and grounding research in theory, diversification in research context, and expanding upon the definition of the Olympic Games within the greater Olympic Movement.

The status and future directions of comprehensive tobacco control policies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games: A review

INTRODUCTION

This review aims to clarify the status and future directions of comprehensive tobacco control policies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games based on a comparison with seventeen countries that hosted the Olympic Games.

METHODS

Seventeen countries that hosted the Olympic Games from 1988 to 2018 were identified by searching the website of IOC. A comparison of the contents was carried out by six themes (Monitor, Protect, Offer, Warn, Enforcement and Raise) in accordance with the MPOWER package for implementation of the FCTC. The comparison items and data were obtained from Global Health Observatory (GHO) data, Japanese government websites, and the literature. Based on the MPOWER scale, the 17 countries were ranked by total score, and a correlation between smoking prevalence and MPOWER total scores was established.

RESULTS

The following three results were clarified: 1) Compared to the 17 countries that hosted the Olympic Games, smoking prevalence in Japan at 22.5% is at a moderate level and male smoking prevalence (33.7%) is still higher than other developed countries such as UK (24.7%) and Australia (16.5%); 2) Japanese tobacco control policies were far behind other countries that hosted the Olympic Games, especially in protecting people from tobacco smoke, warning about the dangers of tobacco, anti-tobacco mass media campaigns and enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; and 3) The better practice in MPOWER was able to reduce total and male smoking prevalence in the study countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Japanese tobacco control policies are far behind other countries that hosted the Olympic Games. In order to successfully hold the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, it will be necessary to strengthen tobacco control policies, based on the FCTC, in the future.

Is It Possible to Predict an Athlete's Behavior? The Use of Polar Coordinates to Identify Key Patterns in Taekwondo

Match analysts and sport psychologists can help elite athletes develop planned competition strategies from a technical-tactical perspective by analyzing of previous performances. The aim of this study was to analyze the behavioral patterns used to score points in the 2012 London Olympic Games by a mixed observational methodology and polar coordinate analysis. This analysis is a representation of four quadrants of the relationships between focal behavior [i.e., scoring, (SC)] and conditioned behaviors as key factors in taekwondo before and after focal behavior of two lags (-2, +2). A total of 151 combats, with a total of 24,940 actions were analyzed by the Taekwondo Observational Tool, which consists of 24 categories grouped into seven criteria (tactics, techniques, kicking zone, laterality, kicking leg, guard, and score). Our analysis confirms 49 significant associations (21 in females and 28 in males) between different types of scoring actions (SC1: to the trunk, SC2: to the trunk with a previous spin, SC3: to the head and SC4: to the head with a previous spin) and a variety of technical-tactical aspects. Females SC1 after cut, direct attacks with circular techniques to the chest, with back right leg; SC2 after direct attacks to the head, and SC3 after cuts, posterior counterattacks with the back leg. Males SC1 after spin anticipate counterattack with back leg and dodges, SC2 after simultaneous counterattacks (SCAs) to the head, SC3 after cuts and posterior counterattacks with back leg while SC4 after blocks and SCAs in close guard with the forward right leg. The observed relationships provide objective data regarding successful behavioral patterns, and are important for coaches and psychologists to train and develop psychological strategies to prepare athletes. For instance, they can be used to individualize training sessions, including visualization of specific combat situations. Coaches and psychologists could use these findings for specific tasks related to technical-tactical improvement of scoring effectiveness or defensive strategies against these specific actions.

Air quality monitoring assessment during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In 2009, the city of Rio de Janeiro was announced as the host city of the 2016 Olympic Games (Rio 2016). For this event, the Brazilian government, in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), undertook the task of monitoring the air quality in the city. This study discusses the PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and O₃ profiles at ten sampling sites located near the arenas in 2016, including during the Olympic Games period. At all sampling stations, the annual mean values of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were below either Brazilian air quality standards or United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) guidelines. In addition, no violations lasting 24 h were observed for particulate matter in 2016. Only two ozone episodes occurred in 2016, both in Campos dos Afonsos (163 and 195 μg m^-3) near the extreme sports arena. However, during the pre-Olympic period (2013-2015), in the same area were registered 16, 81, and 18 violations per year, respectively. The results showed an improvement in air quality in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The reduction in pollutant levels, especially O₃ and PM_2.5, is probably due to the conclusion of the structural construction of the Olympic arenas and efforts to improve urban mobility.

Can the use of a single integrated unitary autonomic index provide early clues for eventual eligibility for olympic games?

PURPOSE

Optimal autonomic regulation and stress resilience might be considered critical elements of athletic performance. We hypothesize that a novel unitary autonomic index for sports (ANSIs), together with a somatic stress related symptom score (4SQ) might help characterize athletes who were eventually selected for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Italian team (Rio +).

METHODS

In this retrospective study we examined 778 athletes (age 24.4 ± 6.7 yrs) who underwent a planned yearly pre-participation screening. All athletes underwent clinical, autonomic and exercise ECG evaluation. The combination of vagal and sympathetic indices from RR variability into ANSIs was performed by radar plot and percent ranking of index variables. We assessed (Rio +) versus (Rio -) athletes also after subdivision into three sport intensity groups (low, mid and high intensity).

RESULTS

Overall there were no significant differences between (Rio +) and (Rio -) athletes when considering individual spectral derived variables. Conversely, the unitary Index ANSIs was significantly higher in (Rio +) compared to (Rio -) athletes (respectively 54.5 ± 29.5 and 47.9 ± 28.4 p = 0.014). This difference was particularly evident (p = 0.017) in the group of athletes characterized by both high static and dynamic components. 4SQ was smaller in the (Rio +) group, particularly in the groups of athletes characterized by both low-medium static and dynamic components.

CONCLUSIONS

ANSIs, a proxy of integrated cardiac autonomic regulation and simple assessment of resilience to stress, may differentiate Italian athletes who were eventually selected for participation in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games from those who were not, suggesting the possibility of a "winning functional phenotype".

Zika Virus Screening among Spanish Team Members After 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Olympic Games

We evaluated the risk for the Spanish Olympic Team acquiring Zika virus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during 2016. We recruited 117 team members, and all tested negative for Zika virus. Lack of cases in this cohort supports the minimum risk estimates made before the Games.

Data for Sochi 2014 Olympics discussion on social media

Presented data is related to the research article “Sochi 2014 Olympics on Twitter: Perspectives of Hosts and Guests” [2].  The data were collected through regular API Twitter search for five months windowing 2014 Sochi Olympic Games and further used for cluster analysis and analysis of the sentiment on the Games. The main dataset contains 616 thousand tweets, rigorously cleaned and filtered to remove irrelevant content. To comply with the Twitter API user agreement, the dataset presented in this article includes only generalized daily data with all information contained in individual tweets removed. The proposed use of the dataset is academic research of changing discussion on the topics related to Mega-events in conjunction with political events.

Have the Olympic Games become more migratory? A comparative historical perspective

It is often believed that the Olympic Games have become more migratory. The number of Olympic athletes representing countries in which they weren't born is thought to be on the rise. It should, however, be noted that migration in the context of sports is hardly a new phenomenon. In this paper we hypothesise that, as a reflection of global migration patterns and trends, the number of foreign-born Olympians hasn't necessarily increased in all countries. Furthermore, it was expected that the direction of Olympic migration has changed and that foreign athletes increasingly come from a more diverse palette of countries. We conducted an analysis of approximately 40,000 participants from 11 countries who participated in the Summer Games between 1948 and 2012. The selected countries have different histories of migration and cover the distinction between 'nations of immigrants' (Australia, Canada, United States), 'countries of immigration' (France, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden), 'latecomers to immigration' (Italy, Spain) and, what we coin, 'former countries of immigration' (Argentina, Brazil). We conclude that the Olympic Games indeed have not become inherently more migratory. Rather, the direction of Olympic migration has changed and most teams have become more diverse. Olympic migration is thus primarily a reflection of global migration patterns instead of a discontinuity with the past.

Paralympic Legacy: Exploring the Impact of the Games on the Perceptions of Young People With Disabilities

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games aimed to deliver a legacy to citizens of the United Kingdom, which included inspiring a generation of young people to participate in sport. This study aimed to understand the legacy of the Paralympic Games for children with disabilities. Eight adolescents (11-16 yr) with physical disabilities were interviewed about their perceptions of the Paralympic Games. Thematic analysis found 3 key themes that further our understanding of the Paralympic legacy. These were Paralympians as role models, changing perceptions of disability, and the motivating nature of the Paralympics. Findings demonstrate that the Games were inspirational for children with disabilities, improving their self-perceptions. This is discussed in relation to previous literature, and core recommendations are made.

Analytical progresses of the World Anti-Doping Agency Olympic laboratories: a 2016 update from London to Rio

The 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the biggest event in human sports, was held in Rio de Janeiro with more than 10,500 athletes from 206 countries over the world competing for the highest of sports honors, an Olympic medal. With the hope that the Olympic ideal accompanies all aspects of the XXXI Olympiad, WADA accredited antidoping laboratories use the spearhead of analytical technology as a powerful tool in the fight against doping. This review summarizes the main analytical developments applied in antidoping testing methodology combined with the main amendments on the WADA regulations regarding analytical testing starting from the 2012 London Olympics until the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Environmental Influences on Elite Sport Athletes Well Being: From Gold, Silver, and Bronze to Blue Green and Gold

This paper considers the environmental impact on well-being and performance in elite athletes during Olympic competition. The benefits of exercising in natural environments are recognized, but less is known about the effects on performance and health in elite athletes. Although some Olympic events take place in natural environments, the majority occur in the host city, usually a large densely populated area where low exposure to natural environments is compounded by exposure to high levels of air, water, and noise pollution in the ambient environment. By combining methods and expertise from diverse but inter-related disciplines including environmental psychology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, environmental science, and epidemiology, a transdisciplinary approach will facilitate a greater understanding of the effects of the environment on Olympic athletes.

Improvement in 100-m Sprint Performance at an Altitude of 2250 m

A fair system of recognizing records in athletics should consider the influence of environmental conditions on performance. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an altitude of 2250 m on the time for a 100-m sprint. Competition results from the 13 Olympic Games between 1964 and 2012 were corrected for the effects of wind and de-trended for the historical improvement in performance. The time advantage due to competing at an altitude of 2250 m was calculated from the difference between the mean race time at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City and the mean race times at the low-altitude competition venues. The observed time advantage of Mexico City was 0.19 (±0.02) s for men and 0.21 (±0.05) s for women (±90% confidence interval). These results indicate that 100-m sprinters derive a substantial performance advantage when competing at a high-altitude venue and that an altitude of 1000 m provides an advantage equivalent to a 2 m/s assisting wind (0.10 s). Therefore, the altitude of the competition venue as well as the wind speed during the race should be considered when recognizing record performances.

Sex equity in French newspaper photographs: A content analysis of 2012 Olympic Games by L'Equipe

The aim of this article was to examine sex equity in the photographic coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games by a French sports daily newspaper. A sample of 1073 photographs was collected and analysed. A content analysis was carried out focusing on the number of photographs, the space they cover, their location and position, the type and colour of shot and the sport they depict. A significant under-representation of female athletes' photographs was found. However, contrary to most of previous research in this field, the other quantitative and qualitative variables do not show any differences. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation between the number of photographs for each sport and the number of French medals was found (for women, for men and for the whole sample), suggesting that the photographic coverage of this event is mainly based on the success of French athletes independently of their sex.

Prevalence and characteristics of asthma in the aquatic disciplines

BACKGROUND

Despite the health benefits of swimming as a form of exercise, evidence exists that both the swimming pool environment and endurance exercise are etiologic factors in the development of asthma. The prevalence of asthma in swimmers is high compared with that in participants in other Olympic sport disciplines. There are no publications comparing the prevalence of asthma in the 5 aquatic disciplines.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the prevalence of asthma in the aquatic disciplines and in contrast with other Olympic sports.

METHODS

Therapeutic Use Exemptions containing objective evidence of athlete asthma/airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) were collected for all aquatic athletes participating in swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, and open water swimming for major events during the time period from 2004-2009. The prevalence of asthma/AHR in the aquatic disciplines was analyzed for statistical significance (with 95% CIs) and also compared with that in other Olympic sports.

RESULTS

Swimming had the highest prevalence of asthma/AHR in comparison with the other aquatic disciplines. The endurance aquatic disciplines have a higher prevalence of asthma/AHR than the aquatic nonendurance disciplines. Asthma/AHR is more common in Oceania, Europe, and North America than in Asia, Africa, and South America. In comparison with other Olympic sports, swimming, synchronized swimming, and open water swimming were among the top 5 sports for asthma/AHR prevalence.

CONCLUSION

Asthma/AHR in the endurance aquatic disciplines is common at the elite level and has a varied geographic distribution. Findings from this study demonstrate the need for development of aquatic discipline-specific prevention, screening, and treatment regimens.

Anti-doping analyses at the Sochi Olympic and Paralympic Games 2014

The laboratory anti-doping services during XXII Winter Olympic and XI Paralympic games in Sochi in 2014 were provided by a satellite laboratory facility located within the strictly secured Olympic Park. This laboratory, established and operated by the personnel of Antidoping Center, Moscow, has been authorized by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to conduct doping control analyses. The 4-floor building accommodated the most advanced analytical instrumentation and became a place of attraction for more than 50 Russian specialists and 25 foreign experts, including independent observers. In total, 2134 urine and 479 blood samples were delivered to the laboratory and analyzed during the Olympic Games (OG), and 403 urine and 108 blood samples - during the Paralympic Games (PG). The number of erythropoietin tests requested in urine was 946 and 166 at the OG and PG, respectively. Though included in the test distribution plan, a growth hormone analysis was cancelled by the Organizing Committee just before the Games. Several adverse analytical findings have been reported including pseudoephedrine (1 case), methylhexaneamine (4 cases), trimetazidine (1 case), dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (1 case), clostebol (1 case), and a designer stimulant N-ethyl-1-phenylbutan-2-amine (1 case).

Student Reflections on a Study Abroad Course to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

The authors lead a study abroad trip to Beijing, China during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Included are reflections from the students who participated. Throughout the visit, students had the opportunity to complete learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. In addition, various challenges were faced and overcome which also constituted a learning experience and was the cause of reflection. The country of China and all of its historical landmarks had a great impression on these students, especially the day that was spent at the Great Wall. Finally, being able to be at the Olympic Games was a life-changing experience, from the Opening Ceremony to the events that were attended. In all, it was a thoroughly worthwhile adventure and one that we hope to replicate every two years.

On a State-Sponsored Sport System in China

The gold medal success of China in recent Olympic Games can be traced to the advancement of the state-sponsored sport system (SSSS). While the program was developed initially through socialist ideals, it is more than a centralized government system to monopolize resources for glorified sport performance. Participation in competition is an inherent part of the human condition. Success in athletics is associated with national identity and has economic, social, and cultural implications. Because of this, it is essential that the SSSS adjust and improve to keep pace with other facets of China's quickly changing national reform. In association with emerging economic reform, some sports now receive equal or more funds from private investments compared to government allocation. The state-sponsored sport system must continue to adapt to maintain the Chinese tradition of excellence in competition.