Most Dangerous and Safest Olympic Sports by Injury Rates

Did you know that in some Olympic Sports, like BMX racing, there is a one-in-three chance that the contestant will be injured during the course of the event?

On the other hand, some Olympic sports are very safe, like canoeing, with only a 2% chance of injury.

Healthnews compiled and analyzed injury rates from the last four Summer Olympic Games (2008–2020) to reveal the most dangerous and safest Olympic sports.

This data was extracted from the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), which shares the multi-sport injury surveillance data.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) implemented the multi-sport injury surveillance system in 2008 to enhance the protection of athletes' health and prevent injuries. The surveillance system was successfully applied during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, with data collection involving team physicians and local medical personnel.

Sport	Average injury rate
Cycling – BMX	34%
Taekwondo	30%
Football	27%
Cycling – MTB	24%
Boxing	21%
Skateboarding	21%
Karate	19%
Handball	18%
Water polo	16%
Hockey	16%
Sport climbing	15%
Weightlifting	15%
Rugby	14%
Softball	13%
Athletics	13%
Wrestling	13%
Surfing	13%
Triathlon	12%
Judo	12%
Volleyball – Indoor	11%
Baseball	11%
Basketball – 3x3	11%
Basketball – 5x5	11%
Artistic gymnastics	11%
Volleyball – beach	10%
Trampoline gymnastics	10%
Badminton	9%
Tennis	8%
Fencing	7%
Sailing	7%
Modern pentathlon	6%
Cycling – Track	5%
Rhythmic Gymnastics	5%
Table tennis	5%
Diving	5%
Equestrian	4%
Shooting	4%
Synchronized swimming	4%
Cycling – Road	4%
Archery	4%
Rowing	2%
Marathon swimming	2%
Canoeing/kayaking	2%

Olympic sports with the highest rate of injury

Some Olympic events have notably higher rates of injury due to their inherent risks. Here, Healthnews outlines the 10 most dangerous sports by injury rates.

#1 BMX racing

BMX racing emerged as the most hazardous Olympic sport, with an average of 34% of participants getting injured during the games.

Here, riders launch themselves from an eight-metre-high hill and race through twists and turns, reaching up to 37 mph (60 kmh). BMX bicycles are rigid, with no suspension, forcing riders to absorb the full impact of jumps and collisions. The injuries are common and severe.

Take Mariana Pajón, for instance, one of the most celebrated BMX riders globally, with 18 world championships and three Olympic medals to her name. Over her career, she has endured 25 fractures, 12 screws, eight surgeries, and numerous ligament and tendon tears. Her joints, she says, feel like those of an 80-year-old.

#2 Taekwondo

Taekwondo is the second most dangerous Olympic sport. Nearly 30% of athletes get injured in taekwondo, which focuses on fast, high-impact kicks, such as head and spinning kicks.

It's not uncommon for athletes to get injured during Taekwondo competitions and miss their chance to compete in the finals, like what happened to the double Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones in the President's Cup event in 2020. She was the odds-on favorite to win the event when she unexpectedly suffered a torn ligament in her right knee, forcing her to miss the final.

#3 Football

Football (or soccer) is the most dangerous team sport, with over 27% of competitors experiencing some injury during the Games.

Brazilian star Neymar is a prime example of how demanding football can be. During the 2014 World Cup, he suffered a fractured vertebra after being kneed in the back, which nearly left him unable to walk and forced him to miss the rest of the tournament.

Throughout his career, Neymar has suffered 38 known injuries, including multiple metatarsal fractures, hamstring issues, and severe ankle injuries.

#4 Mountain biking (MTB)

Mountain biking (MTB), with an average injury rate of 24%, is quite naturally a high-risk sport, as riders have to navigate rocky terrains at high speeds. Fractures are very common in the sport.

Downhill mountain biking can reach speeds of up to 60 mph (96 km) on treacherous terrain, making even the slightest mistake potentially catastrophic.

During this year’s Olympic Mountain Bike race, French cyclist Loana Lecomte suffered head trauma and a minor jaw injury after crashing in a rock garden while in third place. Her front wheel jammed, causing her to go over the handlebars and hit her head on a rock. Despite being momentarily unconscious, Lecomte later walked away from the medical center with stitches on her chin.

#5 Boxing

Perhaps unsurprisingly, boxing, with a 21% injury rate, is among the Olympics' top five most dangerous events.

Studies find that chronic traumatic brain injury (CTBI) occurs in approximately 20% of professional boxers.

There are also multiple cases every year where boxers die during or shortly after boxing matches, highlighting the inherent risks associated with the sport.

Sherif Lawal, a British-based middleweight boxer, tragically died after losing his professional debut. The 25-year-old suffered a fatal injury during the match. Lawal, originally from Nigeria, had relocated to the UK to pursue his boxing career. His death has prompted an outpouring of condolences from the boxing community.

#6 Skateboarding

While skateboarding only joined the Olympic sport lineup in 2021, it immediately became one of the highest-risk events, with a 21% injury rate.

Interestingly, helmets are relatively rare in skateboarding competitions. Even the two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome, who performs some of the most extreme tricks, wears AirPods instead of protective gear.

#7 Karate

Karate, similarly to skateboarding, was introduced to the Olympics only recently, in 2020, but it has a 19% injury rate, as striking arts are inherently dangerous. The final match of karate's historic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ended in controversy when Saudi Arabian competitor Tareg Hamedi delivered a high kick to the neck of Iranian opponent Sajad Ganjzadeh. Hamedi's kick led to his disqualification, while Ganjzadeh, who was left motionless on the mat, was awarded the gold medal.

#8 Handball

Handball in the Olympics has an 18% injury rate, placing it in the 8th spot on the list. Injuries stem from high-speed collisions and physical tackles.

During the currently ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics, Brazilian handball player Tamires Araujo Frossard carried injured Angolan rival Albertina Kassoma off the court after Kassoma suffered a knee injury. Despite their club rivalry, the spectators applauded Frossard's act of compassion.

#9 Water polo

Water polo's average injury rate at the Olympics is 16%, and it is sometimes called the most nightmarish sport in the world.

Players must tread water for extended periods, handle the ball, and fend off aggressive opponents, all while avoiding drowning. The sport's physicality often leads to hidden underwater kicks and hits.

#10 Hockey

With the same injury rate as water polo — around 16% — hockey rounds up this top 10 list of Olympic sports with the highest prevalence of injuries.

A unique aspect of Hockey is that in some professional leagues, like the NHL, fights are allowed to a certain extent. Players must drop their sticks and gloves before engaging in a fight, and referees will stop a fight if it becomes too dangerous​.

Olympic sports with the lowest risk of injury

For those who want to compete in the Olympics but prefer to avoid serious injuries, there are events where the risk of injury is extremely low. These sports offer a safer environment while still providing the excitement and challenge of Olympic competition.

For instance, water sports like canoeing, kayaking, and rowing have a 2% injury rate.

Some athletes in these less injury-prone events compete even while pregnant. After her fencing event, which has a 7% injury rate, Egypt's Nada Hafez shared that she had been competing while seven months pregnant, expressing her joy by stating, “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three!” She finished 16th, her best result in three Olympics.

Similarly, Azerbaijani archer (4% injury rate) Yaylagul Ramazanova revealed she was 6.5 months pregnant during her competition, feeling her baby kick before shooting a perfect 10.