Media release

August 25, 2008

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OLYMPIC GOLD – AND AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMY – HARMED BY INJURIES

Australia needs a greater emphasis on sports injury prevention, says Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) and not just in order to win more Olympic gold.

Gold medal hopefuls Jana Rawlinson (400m hurdles), Nathan Deakes (50km walk) and John Steffensen (400m) all withdrew due to injury before the Beijing Olympics, with Cadel Evans (road race, individual time trial), Brad Kahlefeldt (triathlon) and Penny Taylor (basketball) all hampered with injuries during the Games.

 SMA spokesperson Dr John Orchard, says these lost opportunities at Olympic gold remind us how common injury is in sport with the time having come for Australia to develop a game plan for injury prevention.

”The Australian government spends a lot on its elite athletes and after each Olympics we ask ourselves whether this has been value for money,” said Dr Orchard.

“Perhaps injuries have stopped our athletes achieving more at the Olympics. However, given that Australia spends virtually zero in the field of sports injury prevention, we can hardly complain.

“Currently Australia does not undertake regular monitoring of sports injuries. In New Zealand, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries, where direct costs of sports injuries are measured, their injury prevention procedures are much more effective.”

As regular physical activity prevents heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and depression, Australia should have a game plan to increase the number of people who are physically active.

However as physical activity comes with a risk of injury, injury prevention needs to be part of the game plan,” said Dr Orchard.

SMA believes regular annual monitoring of the costs and benefits of physical activity is needed to assist with health promotion and injury prevention. The exact costs of sports injuries are unknown because of the lack of monitoring but thought to exceed $1.5 billion per annum in direct costs.

Dr Orchard states that by reducing injuries as a barrier to participation, this monitoring would also see a reduction in the substantial proportion of Australians with health problems resulting from inactivity. “Currently indirect costs of inactivity are probably over $10 billion per annum, with inactivity and obesity combined regarded as the most important preventable risk factors for disease in Australia, even surpassing smoking” said Dr Orchard.

”However, injury and fear of injury is a major barrier to activity.”

“National monitoring of sports injuries will help the development of effective countermeasures and reduce the number of injuries. This should assist with increasing physical activity levels, reducing the cost to the economy of both inactivity AND injury and hopefully increasing our chances of winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics,” said Dr Orchard.

For interviews/comment contact Dr John Orchard on mobile 0416 282 420.