Mental health on the Olympic podium

Mental health on the Olympic podium - 16th August 2021

It's a common assumption that top athletes are capable of putting their desire to win above everything else. Casting aside any flicker of self-doubt or angst, they concentrate on the goal in hand – clinching gold.

Interestingly, however, some of the world's most celebrated sports stars are now championing a radically different approach – valuing mental health.

At the Tokyo Olympics, acclaimed gymnast Simone Biles – winner of four 2016 Olympic gold medals – hit the headlines when she dramatically dropped out of the team and various individual events, citing mental health issues. "I have to do what's right for me and focus on my mental health, and not jeopardise my health and well-being," a tearful Biles announced. She’d recognised that she hadn't been in the "right headspace" just hours beforehand.

The young athlete is far from being the exception. The world's most decorated Olympian, 23-times gold medallist Michael Phelps, has spoken publicly about contemplating suicide after the 2012 Games while wracked with depression. Now an analyst for NBC's swimming coverage, Phelps commented that witnessing Biles' internal battle "broke my heart," adding, "We're human beings. Nobody is perfect. So yes, it is OK not to be OK."

Conscious of the increasing struggles that particularly younger sportspeople are prone to, the International Olympic Committee has placed greater emphasis on mental health provision in Tokyo, where onsite psychologists and psychiatrists are responsible for running a confidential "Mentally Fit Helpline” service prior to, during and following the international event.

Naoko Imoto, a swimmer at the 1996 Games and consultant for the Tokyo Olympic Committee, acknowledges that Naomi Osaka – international tennis player and Olympic torch-lighter – had kickstarted the debate on a taboo subject by opening up recently about her own mental health problems.

“In Japan, we still don’t talk about mental health,” Imoto stated. “I don’t think there’s enough of an understanding on mental health, but I think there are a lot of athletes coming out right now and saying it is common.”

For many athletes, both past and present, Biles' candidness could very well transform the perception of mental health in sport. And having taken a step back from the majority of events, Simone Biles regained enough confidence to take part in the balance beam competition, where her performance secured her a bronze medal.