List date(s) this work was published or aired.
23-Jul-12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Approximately 17 000 athletes from 200 countries descended on London for the 2012 Olympic Games. Medical teams, including a staff of cardiologists, had been preparing for years to ensure the games went off without a hitch; the last thing anyone wanted was an athlete dying of sudden cardiac arrest with the whole world watching.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Internet research to identify appropriate people to interview.
Explain types of human sources used.
Major sources for the piece were an interview with Dr Sanjay Sharma, the lead cardiologist for London 2012, and interviews with the Canadian team doctor for London 2012 and the medical director of the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010.
Results:
We tried to give an accurate picture of what it was like to be a medic at the Olympic games, without sensationalizing anything. Most of the health issues that came up were routine, but doctors needed to be prepared for a catastrophic event, such as sudden cardiac arrest.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Identify one or two key people who are involved in the work you plan to write about and try to speak to them. Ask them to recommend other people who you can talk to who may know more about the subject, or who are coming at it from a different perspective. If you can tell a patient’s story too, that adds strength to the article.