International Olympic Committee Diploma in Sports Physical Therapies: a new online programme for therapists working with athletes and sporting teams (continuing professional development series)

International Olympic Committee (IOC). IOC Diploma in Sports Physical Therapies (online-learning). The success of individual athletes and sporting teams relies on players staying healthy, remaining injury free and recovering quickly from medical issues. One only has to look as far as last season's English Premier League, where Leicester City's unlikely success coincided with the league's lowest rate of injuries and least players used,1 to appreciate the importance of keeping athletes fit to compete. In recognition of the key role physical therapists (physiotherapists) and other similar health professionals (eg, athletic trainers) play in the successful prevention and management of sporting injuries,2 the Medical Commission of the IOC launched a new diploma in sports physical therapies in 2015. The programme provides an avenue to specialise in the area of sports physical therapies to ultimately optimise medical care for elite and recreational athletes.3 While its content is based on postgraduate sports physiotherapy courses offered by leading universities, …