# A Narrative Review of the Potential Injuries in Coastal Rowing Beach Sprint: An Approach to Improve Medical Care in Training and Competition

## TL;DR

This paper reviews potential injuries in coastal rowing beach sprint and suggests ways to improve medical care for athletes.

## Contribution

The paper identifies unique injury risks in coastal rowing beach sprint and proposes specific medical care strategies.

## Key findings

- Coastal rowing beach sprint introduces new injury risks due to environmental factors like waves and currents.
- Medical personnel should prepare for acute injuries and ensure rapid athlete evacuation from the beach.
- Protective measures like shade and fresh water are crucial to prevent injury and infection.

## Abstract

Coastal rowing beach sprint is scheduled for inclusion in the Olympic program at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. This discipline represents a modification of traditional Olympic rowing, featuring head-to-head competition that combines short beach sprints with an offshore rowing course around a buoy slalom before returning to shore. Compared with classic Olympic rowing, Beach Sprint rowing presents a distinct injury profile, with the potential to exacerbate injury patterns already common in rowing while introducing additional environmental hazards. Factors such as larger waves, stronger currents, and ocean swell may increase the incidence of acute traumatic injuries in a sport traditionally dominated by overuse injuries. Consequently, team physicians and medical personnel should be familiar with the specific risks and injury patterns associated with this discipline, ensure that appropriate medical equipment is readily available near the course, and establish efficient procedures for safe and rapid evacuation of athletes from the beach. Additionally, the provision of adequate shade, access to fresh water for cleansing potential pathogen entry sites, and appropriate protective equipment in conditions of high waves or strong winds are important measures to reduce the risk of injury and infection.