Rio Report: French Gymnast Highlights the Olympic Legacy of Injury

OLYMPIC PARK, RIO DE JANEIRO — The Olympic Games are defined by the spirit of human achievement. Every four years, we tune in to see the very best athletes in the world at the height of their powers, attempting to go faster, further and harder than anyone else in human history.

On day one of the 2016 Games, for example, we were treated to a world-record breaking performance from Team Great Britain’s Adam Peaty in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke—an extraordinary feat for a heat. In the coming days, the world will watch in anticipation of Olympians reaching new highs, while returning favourites like Usain Bolt will be expected to keep up their exceptionally high standards.

At the Summer Games, it’s all about striving to reach the podium. However, sometimes, more attention is garnered when an athlete fails to finish.

Nowhere was this more clear than on Day 2 of the 2016 games, where a gruesome and potentially career-ending injury befell French gymnast Samir Aït Saïd. While attempting the vault, the 26-year-old suffered an awkward landing that resulted in a horrific break to his tibia (link here, which contains footage of a graphic injury).

It’s the kind of injury one may occasionally see in a football match but rarely in the non-contact world of gymnastics.

"It is very difficult for the team,” French team leader Corrine Moustard-Callon said to the BBC. “He was one of the friendliest on the team which is very difficult. He came to win a medal and gave everything."

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After receiving an ovation as he left the arena on a stretcher, the 2013 European Championships gold medallist was immediately rushed to hospital. Adding further proverbial salt to the wound, Saïd appeared to be dropped as he was loaded into a waiting ambulance.

Despite suffering a devastating setback at the first hurdle of one of the biggest moments of his life, the French gymnast posted a message of positivity from his hospital bed.

He also expressed a belief that he will return to action for the 2020 Games in Tokyo: “Believe me the adventure of Tokyo 2020 is still possible," he told AP. "And as soon as I'm back on my feet I'll be back in training and searching for that Olympic gold."

Saïd wasn’t the only athlete to see their time in Rio concluded by unforeseen injury on day one. Cycling Weekly note that Italian rider Vincenzo Nibali is preparing for surgery in his native Italy after suffering a double fracture to his collarbone in the men’s road race. Australian cyclist Richie Porte also fractured his shoulder blade after crashing into a tree in a separate incident.

Brazil’s hopes of a first gold medal, meanwhile, were cut short when Sarah Menezes was forced to tap out of the 48 kilogram judo quarterfinals, during which she dislocated her elbow.

These injuries may be the first, but they certainly won’t be the last in Brazil. It is a statistical likelihood that when over 11,400 athletes are competing at the very threshold of their abilities, some will be hurt.

At London 2012, Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell was unable to help his nation to relay glory after pulling up in the men’s 100-meter dash. And, the 2012 equivalent of Saïd’s gruesome fate may have been weightlifter Sa Jae-hyouk, who dislocated his elbow during a lift. 

One of the most famous moments in Olympic folklore stemmed from a heartbreaking injury. At the 1992 games In Barcelona, British runner Derek Redmond started strongly in the 400-meter semi-final but tore a hamstring a little over halfway through the race. In a moment that has been used in numerous advertisements as the embodiment of a “never give up” spirit, Redmond decided to finish the race. As he hobbled, his father joined him on the track to help carry him over the line.

It is rare that a beautiful human moment like this is born from Olympic injury, but the injuries themselves are not nearly as rare as one may think.

According to statistics compiled by Scientific American at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2010 Winter Olympics, one in ten Olympians will get hurt. Based on the amount of athletes in Rio, this means we will see nearly 1,150 injured athletes.

In the data, it is revealed that 73 per cent of those injuries occur during the actual competition, with the remainder taking place during training. A third of the injuries are due to contact, 22 per cent as a result of overuse (like Redmond) and 20 per cent as a result of the athlete’s own movements (like Saïd).

The data for the most injury-prone sports also makes for fascinating reading. Football is apparently the most dangerous sport at the Summer Games, with over 30 per cent of participants reporting some kind of injury. These figures would fall vaguely in line with the average injury rate in the Premier League.

The full contact martial art of Taekwondo is second on the list, with field hockey and weightlifting following suit. Oddly, boxing reports less than a 15 per cent injury rate, while fencing—a sport where the goal is to stab an opponent with a sword—is one of the safest disciplines.

At the 2008 games, the sport that was virtually injury-free was sailing. (In Rio, however, the prospect of racing across the waterways will hold far bigger concerns than those of injury.)

Incredibly, an Olympic Games can also spur an increase in injuries to the general public. In 2012, a private healthcare group saw a 20 per cent spike in injuries during the Olympics as armchair fans attempted to emulate their heroes, per the BBC.

Samir Aït Saïd’s accident is unlikely to encourage copycat acts, but at the end of the Games when we reflect upon the successes and medal tallies, we are just as likely to remember those, like Saïd, who suffered while trying to push the boundaries.