WOA noted that FIMS' work in the sports medical and research network would be beneficial as part of the agreement, giving the organisation room to build on their existing work on Olympians' health.

"The health and well-being of Olympians at all stages of their lives is at the heart of what the WOA is about," said WOA President Joël Bouzou.

"This agreement with FIMS will bring huge benefits to Olympians. 

"Through our work together we will be able to better determine how to both protect and improve their physical and mental health."

FIMS and WOA are to jointly promote health study publications that highlight prevalence in musculoskeletal pain and analyse the risk factors associated with musculoskeletal health issues.

It follows on from the WOA Olympians Health Study, which revealed an injury report of athletes in November 2020.

This report showed 63 per cent of Olympians surveyed stated that they had suffered at least one significant career-related injury.

A total of 3,357 retired Olympians from 131 countries, representing 57 sports, took part in the WOA Olympians Health Study.

Also revealed in this was that knee injuries were the most frequent at 20.6 per cent, followed by lumbar spine at 13.1 per cent and shoulder and clavicle at 12.9 per cent.

Studies also showed that female injuries were more prevalent than males, with 68.1 per cent sustaining injuries compared to 59.2 per cent.

This partnership looks to expand on the study to collect data on athletes' physiological and psychological health, and engage Olympians in mentoring projects that improve the mental health and well-being of Olympians.

It also aims to promote active and healthy lifestyles through its Olympians in line with sports legacy programmes including WOA grants.

"Our world-leading network of sports medicine practitioners and researchers allied with the WOA's Olympian network gives us the capacity to produce ground-breaking studies, interventions and recommendations which will benefit Olympians and elite athletes and will allow us to give Olympians the tools to make a real difference to the health and well-being of their communities," added FIMS President Fabio Pigozzi.

Previously, the WOA Olympians Health Study also found that 63.8 per cent of injuries were attributed to training, while a third of Olympians either reported ongoing pain or functional limitation as a result of injuries during their Olympic career.