Canada’s radiology community will once again have a hand in providing medical care to some of the world’s greatest athletes.
University of British Columbia radiologist and CAR member, Dr. Bruce Forster will be a part of the medical delegate at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics beginning next July, and preparations for the event are well on their way.
A great gathering of #paris2024 Olympics experts and #IOC Games Group experts in planning optimization of athlete health for the upcoming Games. @margomountjoy @E_C_S_S @CARadiologists @RoaldBahr pic.twitter.com/kOGfrxEBjN
— Bruce Forster (@brucebforster) July 4, 2023
“The Paris 2024 Organizing Committee has done amazing work in securing some of the most iconic venues in Paris for the sporting events – think Place de la Concorde for skateboarding and Versailles for equestrian,” said Dr. Forster. “They are also attracting many volunteers and ensuring that these Olympics will represent the diversity, inclusiveness and excellence in athlete medical care, both physical and mental.”
With just over a year before the opening ceremonies, Dr. Forster and the medical staff are already taking part in training and orientation activities.
“We just finished our first site visit in Paris and were very impressed with the Olympic Village and Polyclinic, which are on or ahead of schedule. I met with the two lead radiologists, Drs. Michel Crema and Jerome Renoux, and we are finalizing plans for the imaging equipment which includes two 1.5 T MRI units, three US machines, and all the volunteers, most importantly.”
This is not the first major international sporting event for Dr. Forster; he was part of the medical staff for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Dr. Forster says he is anticipating at least one major difference from previous events.
“Hopefully we’ll have little or no COVID compared to Tokyo and Beijing! This will bring in lots of spectators which is important for everyone, especially the athletes. Also, the venues are spread throughout France and beyond at some very cool locations like Marseilles, Lille, and even Tahiti for surfing.”
Dr. Forster continues to lend his medical expertise to large international events because he believes there is important work to be done for radiologists.
“Major sporting events like the Olympics represent an excellent opportunity for radiologists to demonstrate on the world stage the critical role we play in the care of athletes of all levels and in everyday life. There are also research and education opportunities that can improve the health of athletes at the global level.”
Congratulations to Dr. Forster for being part of this prestigious event!