Broken bones, traumatic brain injury, coma, paralysis - this is not a complete list of potential dangers when doing 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 their hearts). However, athletes participating in any sports competition from this top 10 can rightfully be called daredevils. Since they risk not only their health, but also their very lives.
10. Running with the bulls
This dangerous event takes place on July 6th in Pamplona, Spain. Originally, the run of bulls (ensierro) was intended to transport them from the breeding site to the arena where they were killed. Young people jumped alongside the running animals to show off their bravery.
Over the years, the bull run has developed into a festival accompanied by music, dancing and alcoholic libations. Previously, only young men could participate in the fiesta. Women are now allowed to participate. The route is about 1 kilometer long, but many participants cover only half of this distance.
An average of 50 to 100 people are injured annually by the hooves and horns of angry bulls.
9. Jallikattu
Another sport that bulls participate in, although it happens in a different country and with a different set of rules. Jallikattu or "taming the bulls" is held annually in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu during the Pongal festival (Thanksgiving Day for the bountiful harvests). And only one participant becomes the winner in this sport, be it a man or a bull.
In one form of this most dangerous sport, a person must hold the bull for a certain amount of time or at a distance in order to win, while another version of this game involves trying to tame a bull that is released on the field.
Over the past two decades, up to 200 people have died in this sport. Also, due to the protests of activists opposing cruelty to animals, this sport was officially banned in India.
8. Rodeo
The task of the competitor is to remain on the back of a horse (saddled or not) or a wild bull for at least 8 seconds while the animal kicks and tries to throw the rider in every possible way.
Rodeo is considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world, as fallen riders are often diagnosed with neck, head and limb injuries. And the most common injury is a concussion. However, rodeo animals get just as much. For example, to force a horse to rears up, a special belt is put on it, which presses on the sensitive nerve on the croup. This gives the horse unbearable pain.
In 1989, after a bull pierced the heart of cowboy Lane Frost, rodeos were ordered to wear protective vests. This and a host of other protective measures have led to fewer accidents in the sport.
7. Boxing
A single combat in which the only goal of the athlete is to hit the opponent harder. Unsurprisingly, boxing is 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 at one time or another in their careers. They may even be prone to diseases associated with brain pathologies such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. 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 800-1000 meters above the ground was dangerous, then think again.
Base jumping is an extreme sport in which athletes jump from fixed objects. For many, this does not seem like a daunting enough task, and they choose rocks, canyons, gorges or man-made 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 to solve any problems that arose during the flight.
5. Surfing on big waves
This is a surfing discipline in which surfers ride waves at least 6 meters high. In 2018, Rodrigo Coxa, a surfer from Brazil, rode a daunting 80-foot (24-meter) wave. There is information that in 2013 Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara conquered a 100-foot wave, but this achievement did not make it into the Guinness Book of Records.
Only a few are capable of riding on such waves. Many arrogant surfers who decide to ride the big waves drown, or even break their heads on pitfalls.
The deadliest wave in the world is the Pipeline in Hawaii. There, the waves crash at a shallow depth - about 1-1.5 meters above a sharp reef with crevices. Surfers often come across them.
4. Car racing
When cars are racing along the track (NASCAR) or sand (Dakar Rally) at breakneck speed, accidents are almost guaranteed. As automotive technology improves every year, one might think that racing “should be safer,” but in reality it is not. Due to factors such as weather and driver error, auto racing is still one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
The drivers are protected by fire-resistant suits and helmets, but they do not help in all accidents. The most common injuries to racing drivers include broken bones, excessive blood loss, head injury, etc.
3. Cycling
Many readers may immediately conclude that cycling injuries are related only to extreme mountain biking. However, falling off a bike and getting bruised, abraded, fractured, or traumatized can (and often does) while cycling.
The musculoskeletal system of cyclists is exposed to heavy loads. The percentage of injuries to this area is 61.68%. Particularly vulnerable areas are the knee and ankle joints, hips and lumbar region.
2. Football
This sport ranks second on our list due to the frequency of injury to players. Knees, ankles and bones are in the "red zone" of risk. Broken legs, torn meniscus, sprains of muscles and ligaments are, alas, not uncommon for both beginners and the highest paid football players in the world.
And statistics also say that the probability of getting a concussion in this game is 75%, and in other games - 5%. Every footballer is aware of the risks to the body and the brain throughout their career, but their love of sports and high fees, as well as loyal fans, support their self-confidence.
1. Rugby is the most dangerous sport in the world
A sports game with 15 strong players on each team, fighting each other for 80 minutes, is definitely fraught with injury.
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%) occurs in the period from 60 to 80 minutes of the match. Most often, players injure their legs (46%), arms (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 the official statistics of injuries, but it gives an idea that rugby is a very dangerous sport.
Repeated concussions also put rugby players at risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy, brain damage, and dementia.