2019 Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 171-178
The understanding of head injuries in various types of sports has progressed in recent years, and the rules for several sports have been revised accordingly. The precise conditions of head injuries in Japanese rhythmic gymnastics have not been clear. We conducted a survey of the concussions experienced by males and females who participated in the SASAKI CUP, a rhythmic gymnastics event. We distributed our survey to 478 individuals who participated in SASAKI CUP 2018, and we received 147 valid responses (30.8%: 72 males, 93 females). The overall average age was 16.4 years (SD = 1.2). Ninety‒three individuals had a medical history of sports injuries, and concussion was reported in four males (five cases) and one female (one case). Three of the males were injured due to landing incorrectly after a somersault, and the fourth male suffered a concussion after an apparatus fell on his head. The single female had hit her head on the floor. After suffering a concussion, all athletes had some symptoms, including headache and dizziness. As with other sports, it is necessary to create a response method after athletes suffer from a concussion during rhythmic gymnastics performance or training, and to create an environment which prevents serious accidents.
