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Posted at 3:25 a.m., Thursday, October 16, 2008

Study says 1,055 athletes were injured at Olympics

Associated Press

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Nearly one in 10 Olympians were treated for injuries at the Beijing Games, the IOC said Thursday.

More than half of the 1,055 athletes hurt had leg and foot problems and at least 100 suffered head injuries, according to figures based on medical reports from 92 of the national teams competing.

Almost three-quarters of all injuries were sustained in competition, and the most common were thigh strains and ankle sprains.

The sports most dangerous to Olympians' health were boxing, soccer, handball, field hockey, taekwondo and weightlifting. Each reported injuries to around one in seven athletes.

Four sports reported that none of its athletes lost training or competition time: flatwater canoeing, diving, sailing and synchronized swimming.

An International Olympic Committee team of medical experts recorded and analyzed injuries in detail at Beijing for the first time at an Olympics.

A detailed report will be published in a sports medical journal and distributed to all national teams.