Injuries and illnesses at the Munich 2022 European Championships: a prospective study of 5419 athletes from 52 countries involved in 9 sports

Abstract

Objective To describe the incidence and characteristics of the sports injuries and illnesses that occurred during the 2022 European Championships.Methods We conducted a prospective study on newly incurred injuries and illnesses collected by the national medical teams and the local organising committee physicians using a standardised online report form on a daily basis, in all athletes registered at the 2022 European Championships from 11 August 2022 to 21 August 2022 in Munich (Germany).Results In total, 5419 athletes were registered at the 2022 European Championships in 9 sports. A total of 181 in-competition injuries were reported, representing an overall incidence of 33.4 injuries per 1000 registered athletes, with higher values in triathlon, cycling and athletics. More injuries located at the lower limb and involving the muscles and skin were reported in athletics, at the lower limb and involving the skin in triathlon, at the head and trunk and upper limb and involving head and skin in cycling. A total of 65 illnesses were reported, representing an overall incidence of 12.0 illnesses per 1000 registered athletes, with higher values in athletics and rowing. The most affected common system was the cardiovascular system (24.6%), followed by the gastrointestinal (18.5%) and upper respiratory tracts (16.9%). The most frequent causes were exercise (36.9%), infections (30.8%) and ‘others’ (10.8%).Conclusion This was the first injury and illness surveillance during multisports European Championships providing relevant results to help anticipate medical services and athletes’ health protection, and highlighting the need for special attention for triathlon and cycling.