Dr. Stefan Nolte, the German Sports Shooters' Association doctor and head physician for conservative orthopaedics at the German Spine and Scoliosis Centre at the Sportklinik Hellersen, will once again be accompanying the German team to the Olympic Games this year. With over 25 years of experience, he is a permanent fixture at international competitions.
His expertise at the Olympic Games stretches back to Athens 2004 and includes stops in London 2012 and Rio 2016. This year, the shooting competitions will take place in Chateauroux, south of Paris. A modern shooting range was built there in 2018, offering ideal conditions for the pistol, rifle and shotgun competitions. Dr. Stefan Nolte is responsible for the German shooters here and also looks after athletes from other nations who do not have their own doctor with them, as has often happened in the past.
The team doctor usually works in the background during training sessions: "The best time for me is when I have nothing to do, because that means that no athletes are injured." As the head physician knows many of the athletes personally, he knows how to support them not only medically but also mentally. This year, the team will also be supported by psychologists to help reduce the athletes' stress. In addition to typical complaints such as muscle tendon overload syndromes, the expert also deals with everyday health problems such as coughs, colds and nausea. "These are not just sports-specific orthopaedic conditions, but also general practitioner tasks," explains Dr. Stefan Nolte.
The Sportklinik Hellersen has a long tradition of caring for athletes. Founded to provide medical care for uninsured athletes after the war, the specialist clinic has been a central point of contact for injured athletes from the very beginning. "Our sponsor is Sporthilfe, a subsidiary of the state sports association, and so the relationship to sport was a given," explains the team doctor. Over the years, the clinic has provided medical treatment to numerous athletes from various disciplines, including marksmen, winter sports athletes and cyclists.
At the Sportklinik Hellersen, Dr. Nolte treats orthopaedic complaints similar to those at the Games, but the focus on doping is the main difference. "You have to be very careful not to make any mistakes," he emphasizes.
Working at the Olympic Games is still something unique for the team doctor. "Especially the Olympic village. You meet a lot of famous athletes there. It's an extraordinary atmosphere," he says, describing his impressions.
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