Istanbul was this week host to two important IOC courses aimed at improving the protection of elite and Olympic athletes.
The 12th Advanced Team Physician Course, held from the 1-3 November at the Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus overlooking the famous Bosphorus Strait, was attended by 90 delegates from 32 countries and four continents.
The course is aimed at discussing the practical issues encountered by medical professionals working with Olympic or other elite athletes in a team sports setting.
Participants were presented with best practice examples by some of the leading experts in the field and were encouraged to engage in open discussions to share new knowledge and challenge existing predispositions on best medical practice.
The 10th IOC Course on Cardiovascular Evaluation of Olympic Athletes was held from 4-5 November, also at the Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus. It was attended by over 60 team physicians, sports scientists, cardiologists and other medical professionals from 33 countries.
The course had the aim of teaching physicians the basic knowledge of cardiovascular evaluation of elite athletes, according to the protocol suggested by the IOC.
TOC President and Chair of the IOC’s Medical and Scientific Commission, Prof. Dr. Uğur Erdener, who welcomed participants to both courses said:
“Protecting the health of athletes is one of the IOC’s top priorities. That's why we work closely with leading medical and sports scientists from all over the world. The course we organised in Istanbul is a product of this close cooperation and this was a very productive week where participants shared best practices on a number of important medical areas related to elite athlete health. I would like to thank again all of the delegates who took part in the courses and to all my dear colleagues who contributed to their successes.”