3^rd time’s a charm

Dr. Victor Lopez Jr, Dr. Richard Ma, Mr. Christian Victoria, Prof. Meryle G. Weinstein, & Dr. Answorth A. Allen, et al will present their work for the 3^rd time at the International Olympic Committee World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport, November 25-27, 2021, in the Principality of Monaco.

 

This event was to occur in 2020, alongside the Games of the XXXII Olympiad, but has been postponed until November 2021. To introduce new sports and events that strengthened the timeless appeal of the Olympic Games for a new generation, as in 2016 with the re-inclusion of rugby, as Rugby Sevens. These 2020 events were the most Youthful, Urban, and Gender-Equal events in its long history. Tokyo 2020’s 339 events in 33 sports—the most in Olympic history—included the Olympic debut of sports such as skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and karate, as well as events such as BMX freestyle and 3×3 basketball. This had a representation among 206 National Olympic Committee teams (countries/territories represented).

(ABOVE: At the 2012 HSBC Rugby-7s Series Las Vegas Stop. BELOW: At 2017 IOC International Olympic Committee World Conference on Prevention and Injury & Illness in Sport, Monaco)

Dr Lopez and Dr Ma hope to provide insight on the growth within a developing market that could be modeled in emerging National Olympic Committees Rugby-7s programmes. Professor Patria Hume has been pinnacle in guiding RRIPG and their work internationally. She was initially accepted to co-present with Dr Lopez at the 2020 IOC Conference but due to it being postponed, unfortunately will not attend. He is happy that Dr Ma will help present the work they have been doing since 2009. Dr. Ma is a Clinician Scientist, and recent recipient of the AOA/JOA Traveling Fellowship. Dr. Ma is currently the Chief of the Division of Sports Medicine, and the Gregory L. and Ann L. Hummel Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery, at the University of Missouri. He has humbly agreed to take Professor Hume’s place in co-presenting their workshop.  Dr. Ma has been an integral part of their group since, 2009, and his time as a Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery Fellow at Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC under Dr. Scott Rodeo and Dr. Answorth Allen.

This year the honorable injury prevention specialist Professor Patria A. Hume PhD helped contribute to our 2021 Workshop on Rugby-7s Injury Prevention. Meanwhile, the foremost neurosurgical trauma specialist, Dr. Robert C. Cantu MD contributed to our Thematic Presentations. These abstracts presented, have been published in the British Medical Journal, British Journal of Sports Medicine, the foremost medical journal on rugby studies.

Dr. Lopez’s RRIPG/HSS and their affiliations, since their establishment in 2009, are fortunate to have contributed to the growth of rugby in North America. The USA has seen major growth with the sport, RRIPG/HSS is very happy to have contributed by its pioneering research and sports medicine care. Dr Lopez has contributed bringing Major League Rugby’s NY franchise team, Rugby United New York to HSS to add to their Major League portfolio names: Giants, Knicks, Nets & Red bulls to name a few. The unique area of Sports Science and Medicine has been at the forefront for RRIPG/HSS. They have been acknowledged by many sports institutions and governing bodies.

They have been honored to present their preliminary Rugby-7s shoulder injury data, at the IOC conference in 2014 with Dr. Lyndon B. Gross MD PhD, Chesterfield/St Louis, MO, on Shoulder injuries in Tae kwon do, Judo & Rugby.

2014 IOC Conference

Then at the IOC Conference in 2017, Dr. Lopez and Dr. Shen-Ying (Richard) Ma, MD, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, Columbia, MO, where they had multiple thematic presentations on Rugby-7s concussion and women’s injuries.

2017 IOC Conference

2021 IOC Conference

This 2021 Dr. Lopez and his esteemed colleague, Dr. Ma, will be presenting 2 thematic presentations and jointly presenting the IOC Workshop of:  RUGBY-7S IS FAST, BUT ARE WE RUNNING AND ABOUT TO KNOCK-ON! EVIDENCE-BASED RUGBY-7S INJURY PREVENTION CONCEPTS.

The thematic presentations will be chaired by the honorable Dr Christa Janse Van Rensberg, Pretoria, South Africa & Natalia F.N. Bittencourt, Minas Gerais, Brazil).

 

About the IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport

The IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in sport is the premier international conference for those interested in clinical aspects of sports and exercise medicine. The diverse faculty represents the pre-eminent international authorities in injury and illness prevention. This triennial conference is a unique opportunity for the global sport and exercise medicine community to meet face to face in the ideal environment that Monaco provides.

Based on the success of the inaugural 1st World Congress on Sports Injury Prevention in 2005 in Oslo and the subsequent 2nd World Congress in 2008, where 700 participants from 56 countries participated, the International Olympic Committee decided to accept the invitation to take over responsibility for the congress from the founders at the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center.

The third edition was the IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport, held in Monaco in April 2011 and again in April 2014. As reflected by the change in title in 2011, the scope of the conference was expanded from sports injury prevention, to also include the prevention of other health problems associated with sports participation. With participation of 1000 delegates from 80 countries, this conference represented a milestone in injury and illness prevention.

These conferences present evidence-based information on methods to prevent injuries, illness and other health problems associated with sports participation, using a multidisciplinary perspective. Invited lectures, panel discussions, symposia, workshops, free communications and posters will form the programme. They invite a number of recognized experts in the area of injury and illness prevention to become members of the scientific committee.

Monaco has again been chosen as the venue, and Grimaldi Forum will serve as a perfect setting for this event.

With the great interest shown by clinicians and scientists from scientific groups around the world they believe that the 6th IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport in Monaco in 2021, especially with the turbulent past 2020, will be the place to be. Please do not miss this opportunity, if you are involved in caring for the health of athletes.