Broken bones, traumatic brain injury, coma, paralysis - this is not a complete list of potential dangers when dealing with some of the most dangerous sports in the world.
Of course, you can get injured in a chess tournament (for example, if an opponent throws a chessboard in his hearts). However, athletes participating in any sports competition from this top 10 can rightfully be called daredevils. Since they risk not only health, but also life itself.
10. Running with the bulls
This dangerous event takes place on July 6th in Pamplona, Spain. Initially, the bull run (ensierro) was intended to transport them from the breeding place to the arena where they were killed. Young people jumped next to running animals to show off their courage.
Over the years, the bull run has turned into a festival, accompanied by music, dancing and alcoholic libations. Previously, only young men could participate in the fiesta. Women are now allowed. The length of the route is about 1 kilometer, but many participants cover only half of this distance.
Every year, on average, from 50 to 100 people get injured from the hooves and horns of angry bulls.
9. Jallicatta
Another sport in which bulls participate, although this happens in a different country and with a different set of rules. The Jallikattu or “Taming of the Bulls” is held annually in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu during the Pongal festival (Thanksgiving for plentiful harvests). And the winner in this sport is only one participant, whether it be a man or a bull.
In one form of this dangerous sport, a person must hold the bull for a certain time or at a distance in order to win, while another version of this game includes an attempt to tame the bull released on the field.
Over the past two decades, up to 200 people have died in this sport. Also, due to protests by activists opposing animal cruelty, this sport has been officially banned in India.
8. Rodeo
The task of the contestant is to stay on the back of the horse (saddled or not) or a wild bull for at least 8 seconds while the animal kicks and tries in every possible way to lose the rider.
Rodeo is considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world, as in fallen riders it is often diagnosed with damage to the neck, head and limbs. And the most common trauma is a concussion. However, animals at a rodeo get no less. For example, to make the horse stand on its hind legs, they put on a special belt that presses on the sensory nerve on the croup. This gives the horse unbearable pain.
In 1989, after a bull pierced the heart of a cowboy Lane Frost, rodeo participants were required to wear safety vests. This and a number of other protective measures have led to a reduction in accidents in this sport.
7. Boxing
Martial Arts, in which the athlete’s sole goal is to hit the opponent harder. It is not surprising that boxing was one of the first to come to mind when asked which sport is the most dangerous in the world.
Statistics show that 90% of boxers suffer from brain damage in a given period of their career. They may even be prone to diseases related to brain pathologies such as Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease. Sounds scary, doesn't it? But with proper protective equipment, the risk of injury can be minimized.
6. Base jumping
If you thought that parachuting from an airplane flying at an altitude of 800-1000 meters above the ground is dangerous, then think again.
Base jumping is an extreme sport in which athletes jump from fixed objects. For many, this does not seem to be a difficult enough task, and they choose cliffs, canyons, gorges, or artificial objects such as skyscrapers.
Jumping from such heights may seem safer, while in reality they tend to be unpredictable. After all, a person who has jumped has very little time to deploy a parachute or solve any problems that arose during the flight.
5. Surfing on the big waves
This is the discipline of surfing, in which surfers ride on waves at least 6 meters high. In 2018, Rodrigo Cox, a surfer from Brazil, “saddled” a frightening 80-foot (24-meter) wave. There is information that in 2013, Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara conquered the 100-foot wave, but this achievement did not fall into the Guinness Book of Records.
Units are capable of riding such waves. Many arrogant surfers who decide to ride in big waves drown, or even break their heads on pitfalls.
The deadliest wave in the world is Pipeline in Hawaii. There, the waves collapse at a shallow depth - about 1-1.5 meters above a sharp reef with crevices. They often come across surfers.
4. Car racing
When cars rush along the highway (NASCAR) or sand (Dakar rally) at breakneck speed, accidents are almost guaranteed. As automotive technology improves every year, one might think that the race "should be safer", but in fact it is not. Due to factors such as weather and driver errors, car racing is still one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
Drivers are protected by fireproof suits and helmets, but they do not help in all accidents. The most common race car injuries include broken bones, excessive blood loss, head injury, etc.
3. Cycling
Many readers can immediately come to the conclusion that injuries in cycling refer only to extreme mountain biking. However, falling off a bicycle and getting a bruise, abrasion, fracture, or head injury can (and often does) occur during bike rides.
The musculoskeletal system of cyclists is subjected to heavy loads. The percentage of injuries in this area is 61.68%. Particularly vulnerable areas are the knee and ankle joints, hips and lumbar.
2. Football
This sport is second on our list due to the frequency of player injuries. In the “red zone” of risk are the knees, ankles and bones. Broken legs, a torn meniscus, muscle and ligament sprains are, alas, not uncommon for both beginners and the highest paid football players in the world.
And statistics also claim that the probability of a concussion in this game is 75%, and in other games - 5%. Every football player is aware of the risk to the body and brain throughout his career, but the love of sports and great fees, as well as loyal fans maintain their faith in their own strengths.
1. Rugby is the most dangerous sport in the world.
A sports game involving 15 strong players in each team fighting each other for 80 minutes is definitely fraught with injuries.
In 2015, blogger Chris Mile conducted a study based on data from the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. He calculated that on average 3 rugby players are injured per game. And the greatest percentage of injuries (33%) is in the period from 60 to 80 minutes of the match. Most often, players injure their legs (46%), hands (19%), neck and head (18%). At the same time, midfielders and defenders are most at risk, they account for 28% of all injuries received.
Of course, this cannot be called official statistics of injuries, but it gives an idea that rugby is a very dangerous sport.
Repeated concussions also put rugby players at risk for developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy, brain damage, and dementia.
