Introduction Elite swimming is characterised by high training volumes, which increases the risk of overuse injuries, but detailed information on whether specific swim disciplines or the training intensity matters for the occurrence of injuries is sparse. This study aimed to describe the injury prevalence, incidence and distribution among elite swimmers and to identify potential risk factors. Materials and Methods In June 2024 a questionnaire was send to elite swimming clubs across Denmark, Norway and Sweden. A total of 220 swimmers completed the questionnaire describing training and injury characteristics in the 2023/2024 season, and injuries across their entire swimming career. Results During the 2023/2024 season, a total of 73580 athlete exposures (AEs) and 113 injuries were documented, which yielded an injury incidence of 1.54 injuries/1000 AEs. The shoulder was the most prevalent injury site (0.87 injuries/1000 AEs) overall. Butterfly and breaststroke swimmers showed a slightly higher injury incidence than other disciplines (n.s.). Finally, in the freestyle group, sprinters had a higher injury incidence than distance swimmers (p<0.05). Conclusion This study found an injury incidence in elite-swimmers similar to that reported in other epidemiological studies of swimming. It also showed that butterfly and breaststroke swimmers were at a higher risk of becoming injured compared to other disciplines, and further that sprinters had a higher risk for injury compared to distance swimmers despite lower total training volume. This indicates that both swim discipline and intensity of training play important roles in the risk for injury in elite swimming.
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