Olympics: radiology's slalom to prevent and treat injuries of almost 4,000 athletes

Training courses organised by Sirm to update Games clinicians on the appropriate use of diagnostic imaging concluded

by Health Review

15 December 2025

People take photos in front of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics rings, in Cortina D'Ampezzo. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

A multidisciplinary team to take care of the athlete
For the athlete, prevention is the first means of protection
Strategic Pillar of Medical Education
Increasingly used diagnostic services
State-of-the-art and minimally invasive tools

5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Almost 4,000 athletes are expected for the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games: an important number, which highlights the need for medical support for the prevention and treatment of sports injuries.

To update the clinicians who will be involved in the Games on the appropriate use of diagnostic imaging, the SIRM (Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology) organised the training course 'The role of diagnostic imaging in the assessment of the athlete'. The last of the three appointments - the first two were held in Milan and Rome - took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo in the presence of 23 speakers and about one hundred health professionals.

A multidisciplinary team to take care of the athlete

Today, even though only 3% of the population practises sport regularly, there are 16 million members of the various federations or sports associations affiliated with CONI; a large number of athletes capable of generating great pressure on the SSN both in the phase of approaching sport (fitness) and for any injuries and alterations to the body as a result of practising sport. 'In this scenario, diagnostic imaging plays a central role in sports medicine,' explains Nicoletta Gandolfo, SIRM president and Director of the Asl3 Imaging Department of Genoa. 'The training pathway that began with the meetings of 18 and 24 November in Milan and Rome, and concluded with this third appointment in Cortina, represents an ambitious project that was born in 2024 and is now fully shared with Milan-Cortina 2026. These are moments of comparison designed not only for radiologists, but for the entire team that takes care of the athlete (whether professional or youth and amateur) such as orthopaedists¸ cardiologists, sports physicians, physiatrists, physiotherapists, neurologists. The goal is to build a truly joint training, in which our technological knowledge can be integrated with clinical experience, so as to improve the management of the athlete from the moment of injury until the return to full activity'.

Imaging thus becomes not only a tool for diagnosis, but also for risk prediction, and the radiologist trained in sports medicine thus becomes an active part of the medical team and ensures that the practice of imaging respects the principles of safety and appropriateness. For SIRM, participating in the extraordinary adventure of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics 'means contributing with our expertise to the health of athletes and to the construction of an integrated care model that supports the most appropriate treatment decisions of national interest'.

For the athlete, prevention is the first means of protection

"Prevention is the first real instrument for protecting the health of athletes, and radiology plays a decisive role both in assessing fitness to practice sports in clinically dubious cases, especially in alterations of the cardio-vascular system - adds Andrea Giovagnoni, Past President SIRM - and in the immediate and accurate diagnosis in the event of injuries that can affect sportsmen and women, not only of muscle, tendon and joint injuries but also of more complex thoraco-abdominal or neurological traumas. This is why it is essential that sports medicine teams know how to orient themselves with strict criteria of appropriateness and safety: choosing the correct method, avoiding unnecessary exposure to ionising radiation or the improper use of contrast medium, and communicating results sensitively and clearly. Incorrect or excessive diagnostics can lead to unnecessary activity interruptions, inappropriate recovery times, and unnecessary treatment, with repercussions for both the athlete and the team. Our task is to build quick, safe and integrated response paths with all other health disciplines, so that clinicians, coaches and athletic trainers are provided with accurate information on recovery times and risks of relapse. The training sessions we are conducting represent an indispensable cultural investment: they prepare the professionals who will have to operate in an extremely demanding context such as the Olympic Games and reinforce a vision of radiology centred on safety and quality'.

Strategic Training Pillar for the Medical Service

"Milano Cortina 2026 represents an unprecedented challenge for the organisation of medical services, with 13 locations including stadiums, arenas, tracks and sports centres, distributed over a vast territory that includes as many as three Italian regions,' comments Giuseppe Massazza, Director of Medical Services of Milano Cortina 2026, Director of the Department of Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Rehabilitation of the University of Turin. 'Precisely for this reason, training becomes a strategic pillar: events such as this one allow us to share skills, protocols and vision with those who will be on the front line. Our goal is to ensure an efficient, integrated and perfectly coordinated Olympic health system with the local realities, which have shown great commitment and willingness to get involved. The medical radiologist trained in sports medicine will play a decisive role in the diagnosis and management of athletes and will be part of a development pathway in terms of technology and know-how."

Increasingly used diagnostic services

'Imaging plays a central role in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries,' emphasises Luca Maria Sconfienza, Director of the Operative Unit of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Deputy Scientific Director, IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi in Milan. Muscular pathologies such as strains, sprains and injuries are one of the main causes of sports inactivity: to treat them, an integrated assessment is required that includes diagnostic imaging, biomechanical analysis of the sporting gesture and multimodal therapeutic management, to facilitate the return to physical activity with a reduction in the risk of relapse. The importance of this approach in sporting competitions is demonstrated by the increasingly intensive use of diagnostic devices, as in the last three editions of the Summer Olympic Games, where the use of magnetic resonance imaging increased significantly. Knowing how to treat athletes and with which instruments also means ensuring the correct use of NHS resources."

State-of-the-art, minimally invasive tools

"The 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics and Paralympics represent an appointment of great importance, not only in terms of sport, but also in terms of organisation and health - concludes Ettore Squillaci, Director UOC Diagnostic Imaging Gemelli Isola Tiberina Hospital -. Guaranteeing a medical assistance system up to the standards of an event of this magnitude is a priority. Today, thanks to radiology, both athletes and non-competitive sportsmen and women can count on avant-garde instruments not only in diagnosis but also in treatment through minimally invasive radiological treatments. Training initiatives such as the one promoted by the SIRM confirm the commitment of scientific societies to the development of shared skills: it is work that enhances our National Health Service both operationally and economically."

The project has its roots in the intuition of Carlo Faletti during the 2006 Sestriere Olympics and today finds its true cultural and sporting roots in SIRM: a path that demonstrates how medical radiology can be an integral part of a modern, integrated and quality-oriented model of care.