Athletes getting sick during the Olympics is surprisingly common. During the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Games, between 4-7% of athletes suffered from some sort of illness. The 2018 Winter Games were no better with 9% of competitors suffering from an illness. Upper respiratory infections were the most common illnesses reported.
Getting sick during training periods is already bad enough for athletes. Research shows athletes who complete around 80% of their planned training weeks are seven times more likely to achieve their performance goals. For every week of incomplete training – perhaps because of illness – the chance of success is lowered by 26%. Staying illness-free both during training and at competition is an absolute priority.
