The top 10 most dangerous sports in the world are ranked according to the frequency in which they are prone to accidents and injuries during the action.
Engaging in sporting activities is a great way to unwind and have fun but it also comes with its challenges and in this article, we shall be looking at the top 10 most dangerous sports in the world.
Competition in different types of sports regardless of whether you are facing your opponent directly or not comes with a lot of risks and including broken bones, comas, paralysis, and even death.
Sports can be dangerous depending on where athletes demonstrate their athleticism be it on air, sea, or land. The top 10 most dangerous sports in the world are ranked according to the frequency in which they are prone to accidents and injuries during the action.
Top 10 most dangerous sports in the world
10) Helicopter Skiing
You might be wondering what this sport is all about and how it found itself among the top 10 most dangerous sports in the world. This sport entails skiing with the help of a helicopter where the skier reaches the top of the mountain by helicopter, instead of a ski lift.
The danger of this sport comes in when the athletes are not vigilant and careful enough. Massive numbers of muscular and skeletal injuries are often standard in helicopter skiing. In 2021 in Alaska, a helicopter crashed and killed five people, including Czech Republic's richest man.
9) Luge
Luging made its way to the top 10 most dangerous sports in the world after the 2010 Summer Olympics in Canada which saw Nodar Kumaritashvili, a luge athlete from Georgia, die on the opening day of the event.
In simple terms, the sport involves athletes lying down on their backs and throwing themselves down a frozen track, fighting every moment not to be catapulted off the halfpipe.
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Although the sport has not brought about any number of deaths recently, athletes are often left with severe injuries, making it one of the most dangerous games ever ranked.
8) Base jumping
At one point in your life, either live or virtually, you have probably seen people jumping out of planes with parachutes, and you felt some chills run down your spine. Well, that’s base jumping and the sport has also made it to the list of the top 10 most dangerous sports in the world.
To make matters worse, some people do not even jump from planes, they can jump from buildings or mountains.
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Research has shown that the injury rate of this sport is 0.2-0.4% per jump, and one out of 60 participants always gets fatally injured.
Many base jumpers tend to get injured due to malfunctioning wingsuits and heavy strikes of objects or canopy while jumping and landing. The most common injuries associated with the sport are ankle sprains, fractures, minor head concussions, or bruised knees.
7) Skydiving
Skydiving booked a slot among the top 10 most dangerous sports in the world due to the high risk of possessing injuries skydivers have. It is a sport that includes jumping from an airplane and typically executing a prolonged free fall before deploying a parachute.
The sport has gained mainstream popularity over the past decades, however, limited data exists on the injury risk or type associated with skydiving.
The most common injuries sustained by recreational skydivers involved the lumbar spine and lower extremities. Injuries are most commonly reported during the landing sequence.
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With modern equipment and training methods, fatalities occur in less than 1 per 100,000 cases, and serious injuries requiring hospitalization in less than 2 per 10,000 cases. This puts the assessment of skydiving as a high-risk sport into perspective.
6) Rugby
With 15 players on either team smashing against each other for 80 minutes, someone is likely to get injured with the only protection being a mouth guard and spiked boots.
Rugby players use their whole bodies to play the game and these plays contribute to the concussions, torn ligaments, dislocated shoulders, and even tetraplegia, that players can end up with.
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Recent data shows that repeated concussions also puts players at risk of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), brain damage, and dementia placing it among the top 10 most dangerous sports in the world. According to reports, since 2001, collisions and rough tackles in rugby have led to the deaths of over a dozen professional players.
5) Boxing
Boxing is a combat sport where two opponents wearing gloves punch each other in a ring. The sport poses huge dangers to the participants with one of the most significant risks being head trauma which can lead to severe brain injuries including concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Repeated blows to the head can cause cumulative damage over time, which can have long-term consequences, including memory loss, mood swings, and cognitive impairments.
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Boxers are also at risk of other injuries, including facial fractures, eye damage, and spinal cord injuries, all of which can be life-altering. There is also no surprise that almost 90% of boxers suffer from brain damage and skeletal injuries.
As a result, many people view boxing as an inherently dangerous sport and this has seen it ranked among the top 10 most dangerous sports in the world.
4) Bull riding
Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider mounting a bull and attempting to stay on the animal for as long as possible while it bucks and tries to throw the rider off.
Bull riding is incredibly dangerous and requires a high level of skill, strength, and bravery from the rider. The unpredictable nature of the bull makes it ranked among the top 10 most dangerous sports in the world.
The rider is at risk of sustaining injuries such as concussions, broken bones, and internal organ damage from the impact of the bull’s hooves or horns. In addition, if the rider is thrown from the bull, there is a risk of being trampled or gored by the bull. Fortunately, only three dates have been recorded since Professional Bull Riders' inception in 1992.
3) Big wave surfing
Big wave surfing is an extreme water sport that involves riding waves that are taller than 20 feet. It is ranked among the top 10 most dangerous sports in the world due to the potential for wipeouts, where the surfer can be thrown underwater and potentially hit by the board or rocks below.
Overall, big wave surfing is a high-risk sport that requires a lot of skill, experience, and careful preparation to minimize the potential for injury or death.
2) Racing
Racing is a sport that encompasses various forms of racing, whether on horses, cars, motorbikes, or cycles. While it is an exciting and thrilling activity for both participants and spectators, it can also be highly dangerous.
The primary risk associated with racing is the high speeds and potential for collisions, which can cause severe injuries and even deaths.
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Crashes can result from mechanical failures, driver errors, environmental conditions, or other factors. Additionally, the intense physical demands of racing can cause injuries such as strains, sprains, and fractures. Drivers and riders also face mental and emotional risks, including the pressure to perform, stress, and fatigue.
1) Mountain Climbing
Mountaineering is the sport of climbing mountains and is widely considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
Mountain climbers are exposed to a wide range of hazards, including high altitude, steep slopes, unpredictable weather, avalanches, rockfalls, and crevasses.
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Altitude sickness is a common and potentially fatal risk associated with mountaineering, caused by a lack of oxygen at high elevations.
The physical demands of the sport can also lead to injuries, such as frostbite, dehydration, and exhaustion. Additionally, rescues and emergency medical care are often difficult or impossible to obtain in remote mountainous areas.
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According to various online sources, 5.6 injuries occur every 10,000 hours of mountaineering. Additionally, there are about 30 deaths recorded every single year. Even worse, some athletes go missing for years on top of mountains. It is therefore safe to say that it is among the top 10 most dangerous sports.