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Abstract
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In open-water venues, the need for lifeguards is well appreciated around the world. Unfortunately, there are still people in countries with a less well-developed sense of safety who believe that swimming pools do not present risks and therefore that the lifeguards are unnecessary (Avramidis, 2003). For those believing that a swim- ming pool is merely a harmless "small sea" and therefore a safe place without the potential for injury or death, the answer to the question "Do we need lifeguards during the Olympic Games?" is often a resounding No!
As one means of refuting that attitude, one need only consider a remarkable incident that occurred on the ninth of Greg Louganis's 11 preliminary dives in the 3-m springboard competition during the Olympic Games of Seoul on September 19, 1988. Louganis lacerated his head on the diving board and hit the water with a great splash after attempting a reverse 2.5-somersault pike. Fortunately, the accident led only to a cut that required temporary sutures and five stitches. Recall, however, that several years later the incident took on added meaning when the world's best diver revealed that he had been HIV-positive during those Olympic Games. In his autobiography, he admitted that he was panicked that he might cause someone else harm. He had wanted to warn the doctor who treated his head injury without wearing gloves, but he did not. Fortunately, the physician tested negative for HIV in 1994. Everything was so mixed up at that point: the HIV, the shock and embarrassment of hitting his head, and an awful feeling that it was all over (Brown, 2007). From this single emergency incident that could have led to compression, concussion, spinal injury, bleeding, or an HIV infection, one should appreciate that even during Olympic Games, aquatic emergencies can and do occur.
Presumably each host country for an Olympic Games tries to learn the lessons of the past for organizing better and safer games. One would expect that 16 years after the Louganis incident in the Olympic Games of Athens 2004, safety precau- tions would dominate the aquatic venues.
Language: en |