Pressing topics including the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in athlete health, women athlete health, latest trends in injury prevention, and gender eligibility and differences of sex development (DSD) topped the agenda of a Workshop organised by the ASOIF Medical and Science Consultative Group (AMSCG) on 6 and 7 May in Lausanne, Switzerland. The meeting gathered 60 medical leaders from 33 International Federations (IFs), including five Winter IFs, as well as legal experts and academic representatives.
Wealth of wide-ranging expertise
Welcoming the participants, ASOIF President Ingmar De Vos said: “This strong turnout reflects the commitment across the IF community to athlete health and welfare. Our Workshop brings together an incredible wealth of wide-ranging expertise with the presence of IF medical chairs, orthopedic surgeons, physicians, and health and welfare specialists. It’s not just a forum for discussion, but a means to drive practical outcomes, foster collaboration and facilitate the provision of the tools and support needed to respond to complex challenges.”
Catalyst for progress
In addition to expert presentations and panel discussions, the Workshop offered the opportunity to discuss specific challenges faced by IFs in ensuring athlete health; present successful IF initiatives; brainstorm collaborative solutions in breakout sessions; and strengthen ties beyond the Olympic Movement.
The IFs engaged in discussions on the progress in women athlete health initiatives such as rule changes and research programmes; enhanced networking pathways; and opportunities to implement AI in IF medical workflows to improve efficiency and accuracy. A future focus will be on IFs implementing a mental health policy. In addition, delegates committed to increasing collaboration among IF medical chairs, and to exploring further initiatives in the area of women’s health, heat, fatigue, injury prevention and the defined role of an IF doctor. Finally, the participants agreed to keep each other informed of the latest and most relevant medical, legal and geopolitical developments in the field of gender eligibility and DSD.
Margo Mountjoy, AMSCG Chair, said at the close of the Workshop: “The collaboration amongst the International Federation medical chairs resulted in impactful and practical outcomes that will help to support the important work of promoting health and well-being of elite athletes. This Workshop remains a valuable platform for the Summer and Winter Olympic International Federations to share, collaborate and, most importantly, progress on critical issues most of which concern all sports.”
The Workshop is organised every two years and takes on topics on athletes’ health, which require joint approaches and solutions.
