How athletes handle the post-Olympics blues

British athletes heading home from the Paris Olympics have all been offered the chance to sign up for “performance decompression”, a support system developed during the pandemic to help elite performers cope with the sudden jolt of no longer having a clear goal.

First comes a “hot debrief” in the immediate aftermath of competing, then a period of “time zero”, during which athletes are encouraged to immerse themselves in home life and embrace the rollercoaster of emotions that can follow a major tournament.

The UK approach, which incorporated military research on how personnel adjust back to civilian life, is part of a wider evolution in the way teams around the world aim to combat “post-Olympics blues” and tackle broader issues around athletes’ mental health.

“Looking after your mind is the most important because you can’t force it,” said Keely Hodgkinson, British gold medallist in the 800 metres. “It will be in two months’ time, when you’ve had an off-season and you’re thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. It’s been such a long time, and I’ve got to do it all over again and keep turning up.’”

The International Olympic Committee has previously pointed to research showing about 35 per cent of elite athletes suffer from some form of mental disorder — from burnout and substance abuse to depression — with the period following major tournaments when they are at the most vulnerable.

After winning gold in Paris Valarie Allman, the US women’s discus thrower, told the FT about the importance of mental preparedness: “So many athletes, especially when they talk about the Olympics, you get big emotions, you get heartbreak, you get glory.

“It’s really important for athletes to share their experience, to share how they’ve dealt with the pressure, to embrace it and celebrate that vulnerability.”

In Paris many medal winners, from US 100-metre winner Noah Lyles to British swimmer Adam Peaty, have addressed their emotional wellbeing in post-event press conferences, highlighting how the pressure to perform can lead to depression and anxiety.

US heptathlete Anna Hall posted frank excerpts from her diary on her Instagram account, while gymnast Simone Biles delivered candid video messages to her followers on TikTok.

“I never thought I was going to be competing again, because that’s how terrified I was of gymnastics,” said Biles, who pulled out of the Tokyo Games three years ago after suffering from what gymnasts call a bout of “the twisties”. She has since become a vocal mental health advocate. “I’ve had to put in a lot of work, but shout out to my therapist and shout out to therapy.” 

Sports psychology has been a core part of elite programmes for decades, with much of it aimed squarely at improving results.

But there is a growing awareness that taking a far broader approach to athlete wellbeing is both a moral obligation and a vital element in enabling high performers to reach the top and stay there for longer. Some teams refer to it simply as “winning well”. 

“The way we talk about mental health and the way we acknowledge wellbeing and how important it is for an athlete has changed quite a lot,” said Nicole Burratin, mental health lead and clinical psychologist at the Australian Institute of Sport, which oversees the country’s elite athlete programme. “People are speaking more and more about mental health in a public manner, especially in sport. We are seeing a shifting stigma.”

The biggest challenge often comes in the weeks and months after a big event, when the glow of Olympic victory starts to fade. Others find it difficult to wind down from years of dedicated training, especially with the next major tournament so far away. Those who have underperformed expectations or suffered injuries have a long wait to try again.

“Whether they’ve achieved or not, it’s the absence of that focus, the habitual training, that goal to strive towards that leaves you feeling a bit empty afterwards and very lost,” said David Fletcher, professor of human performance and health and Loughborough University. 

Teams are increasingly looking to put in place support systems for athletes, such as the UK’s embrace of a managed decompression period. With many Olympic athletes likely to have lived in relative obscurity before the competition, some may struggle to cope with being thrust into the limelight after winning a medal or becoming a social media phenomenon.

Pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji, who became an internet sensation for her steely focus on her way to a silver medal in Paris, blamed stress and exhaustion after she collapsed at a press conference back home in South Korea on Friday.

Not everyone is fully prepared for the post-Games comedown. When asked how he planned to adjust to normal life after winning a bronze medal in Paris, Jamaican shot putter Rajindra Campbell said: “This is my first, so I’m definitely going to wing it.”

The Australian and British Olympic teams are among those with staff dedicated to managing the weeks and months of adjustment that follow major events, whether training for the next big event or outside elite sport altogether.

Athletes and coaches can access a network of psychologists, psychoanalysts and lifestyle managers to help navigate the post-competition months. A detailed analysis of competition performance is the final step, once all the emotions have been processed.

Part of the work is also to help athletes develop their lives away from the track, pool or gym so that, when the time comes to relax, they do not feel the loss of focus so acutely.

Burratin emphasised the importance of encouraging athletes to find interests and connections outside sport.

“If people are taking care of their mental health, then they’re going to perform better in sport, but ultimately they’re just going to be able to cope better in all areas of their life,” she said.