30 July 2024

With 10,714 competitors in this year’s Olympics, the 32 radiographers at the Paris Games have their work cut out for them.

Around 1,800 scans will be performed at the Olympics (July 26 to August 11) and the Paralympics (August 28 to September 8), according to Olympics Head of Imaging Jerome Renoux, who spoke to AuntMinnie.com. He predicts radiographers will carry out 900 MRI scans, 600 ultrasound scans and 300 X-ray exams during the games.

Renoux said in the days leading up to the games’ that the radiographers were feeling excited to be “part of this unique moment.”

The imaging team is stationed in the Olympic Village Polyclinic, the cornerstone of the games’ medical and paramedical care system. Open 24/7, it offers MRI, X-ray and ultrasound. The Polyclinic doesn’t offer CT but can refer athletes for a CT scan at a nearby hospital. Athletes can also access orthopaedic surgery, gynecology, cardiology, dental, ophthalmology, physiotherapy, massage and specialised consultations in sports medicine.

Australia has had its share of injuries, with Opals basketballer Bec Allen travelling all the way to Paris before Polyclinic scans determined her hamstring injury meant she could not compete in the games.

Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur withdrew from his singles matches just hours before his first match, due ongoing issues after tearing his hip cartilage at Wimbledon.

Even more unlucky, Australian cyclist Lucas Plapp is recovering in a Parisian hospital after colliding with a fence during the men’s time trial.

Radiographers interested in imaging athletes at a future Olympics can apply through the Australian Olympic Committee.