The Olympic Games represent a pinnacle of sporting achievements. For many athletes, they are the culmination of years of rigorous training, intense competition and the relentless pursuit of excellence. But after the medals have been awarded and the closing ceremony completed, what happens next? For many Olympians, the period following the Games can be as mentally challenging as the Games themselves. This experience, often referred to as the “post-Olympic blues,” highlights the profound mental health challenges that athletes face not only during, but also after competitions.
The Scale and Impact of Post-Olympic Mental Health Issues
Post-Olympic mental health struggles affect a significant proportion of high-performing athletes. Research studies, conducted in 2018 and 2019 and focussed specifically on Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the post-Games period, revealed the depth of this problem, reporting that 24% of athletes reported psychological distress after the Games. Another study showed that 41.4% experienced symptoms of athletes depression, anxiety, or eating disorders during the post-games period.
Lydia Jacoby, a star from the Tokyo 2020 Games who won a gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke at just 17 years old, experienced this firsthand. “I didn’t think post-Olympic depression would affect me, but after the Games, I started feeling it,” she admitted. Despite her success, Jacoby’s experience highlights that even those who achieve their dreams at the Olympics can struggle with the emotional void that follows.
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals, including 23 golds, has been candid about his battles with depression, which first emerged after the Athens 2004 Games. “I would say probably 2004 was my first taste of post-Olympic depression,” he shared in an interview. “It’s basically… you get to the edge of a cliff, like, ‘Cool, now what? Oh, I guess I’ve got to wait four more years to have the chance to do it again.’” Phelps described how each Olympic cycle, particularly after the 2008 Beijing Games, brought a renewed wave of depression, illustrating the emotional void that many athletes face once the adrenaline and focus of the Games subside.
Australian Olympic diver Melissa Wu, who won a bronze medal in Tokyo, also shared her experience of post-Olympic challenges. “You go from having a clear goal and focus to feeling lost and not knowing what’s next,” she said.
These stories are not isolated, as many athletes struggle with the loss of routine, purpose and identity after the Olympic Games. The pressure to perform, combined with the sudden absence of the structured environment that training and competition provide, can lead to significant mental health challenges.
Why?
The mental health challenges faced by Olympians post-Games can be attributed to several factors. The intense focus on training and competition often leads athletes to develop a singular identity as an athlete, making it difficult to adjust when that identity is no longer the central focus of their lives. This “achievement trap” can result in a significant reduction in well-being, mood swings and feelings of emptiness once the structure and immediate goals provided by competition disappear.
Additionally, the post-Olympic period is often marked by a loss of social support. Studies have reported that athletes who lack clear post-Games plans or support are more likely to experience depression and anxiety.
The Sporting Community’s Response
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition within the sporting community of the need to address the mental health issues that athletes face, more proactively. Organisations such as the IOC and national bodies like the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) have implemented initiatives aimed at supporting athletes’ mental well-being. The USOPC, for instance, includes mental health screenings as part of its regular health assessments for athletes and has established a team of mental health professionals who are available to the athletes, before, during, and after the Games.
Team GB has also taken significant steps to address the mental health of its athletes, particularly in response to the challenges seen in recent Olympic cycles. The British Olympic Association (BOA) has implemented a six-stage “performance decompression” model, designed by the UK Sports Institute. This model, in operation since the Tokyo Olympic Games, is underpinned by strategies used in the military and humanitarian sectors and includes phases such as “hot debriefs” immediately after competition and structured psychological debriefs to assist in the processing of emotions.
However, gaps remain in the system, leaving athletes vulnerable after the Games. One athlete shared how, despite these structures, the post-Olympic period still felt isolating: “You come back, and suddenly all the support systems just disappear. It’s like you’re left to fend for yourself at the very moment when you’re most vulnerable.” The tragic story of Tori Bowie, a triple Olympic medallist, underscores the urgent need for extensive post-Olympic support. Bowie struggled with severe mental health issues after retiring from track and field, with her untimely death highlighting the potentially devastating consequences faced by athletes during these critical transitions.
Together these findings emphasise the importance of change, which is needed and being made, but also highlight a critical area where more sustained effort, to support athletes in their post-Olympic transitions, is required.
Looking Ahead
The post-Olympic period can be a time of deep introspection and adjustment for athletes. As the world’s attention shifts away from the Games, emotional and psychological challenges may follow for the athletes. The sporting community has made progress in addressing these issues, but there is still much work to be done. Continuous, long-term support, beyond the Olympic cycle, is crucial in ensuring that athletes do not feel vulnerable once the tournaments end.
At Prorizon, we understand this need and we deliver an integrated approach to mental and physical fitness that supports athletes throughout their competitive careers and as they transition into retirement. By understanding the communication between mind and body, we aim to provide athletes with personalised support that promotes long-term health and performance. This approach helps manage the mind-body load that not only results from the demands of an athletes career, but also during the transition out of sport, addressing the physical and psychological challenges that arise when the routine of intense training and competition is no longer present. Crucially, our focus is on equipping athletes with the tools they need to thrive, providing personalised tips and insights into the impact of mind-body load on their health and performance, helping them to achieve a positive, sustainable future.