These Are the Most Dangerous Olympic Events

Most divers leap well clear of the board and enter the water gracefully. But when things go wrong, they go horribly wrong. A missed approach or bungled dive raises the possibility of hitting the board or platform, which is how Greg Louganis concussed himself in 1988. And high dives bring the added risk of an impact injury hitting the water. A diver leaving the 10-meter platform enters the water at nearly 35 mph. At that speed, water acts more like a solid than a liquid on impact.

Equestrian events are among the most dangerous at the Olympics, because competitors ride 1,200 pound animals at 20 mph or more. The slightest miscalculation can launch a rider, trip a horse, or clip a jump. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports found that between 2005 and 2010, five of every 100 competing riders fell. Competitors now wear emergency vests that inflate on impact to protect them from being crushed under a falling horse, decreasing the probability of serious injury from one in 14,000 riders to one in 43,000.

Pole vaulting seems patently dangerous: Competitors run down a track at top speed, holding a giant, flexible stick that they use to launch themselves nearly 20 feet into the air. A staggering number of things can go wrong, not the least of which is a snapped pole. Overall, rate of direct catastrophic injury from a snapped pole is 2 percent, leading to spinal, pelvic, and head injuries.

Surprised to see soccer here? More than two-thirds of soccer players competing during the 2008 and 2012 Olympics suffered injuries, and half of those players missed a game because of it. But even for soccer, the Games are particularly risky, with an injury rate higher than events like the World Cup. One reason may be the fact that teams competing in the tournament are allowed just three players older than 23, which bars more seasoned and skilled players. Younger, less experienced players could overexert while competing for a major title.

Taekwondo is the most dangerous of the martial sports in the Games, largely because it requires landing blows to the head and torso. During the 2012 Olympics, the rate of injury for taekwondo competitors was higher than those in wrestling, boxing, and fencing combined---39 percent of athletes suffered an injury of some kind.

Weightlifting is among the top five events in terms of injury frequency. Most are overuse injuries, like muscle strains or tendonitis, but the sport has the potential for far more serious problems, like herniated disks, shoulder impingement, and gruesome elbow injuries.