Coping with Success and Defeat At The Olympics

Have you been watching the Olympics?

The immense joy that emanates from the Olympic athletes that win – or do better than they ever imagined they might – truly lights up the screen. Tears, laughter, bright smiles, hugs from rival athletes and family. It’s success so incredibly hard-won, it’s hard for us non-athletes to understand.

When the surprise is defeat – an accident that sends an athlete immediately to the hospital, a devastating fall seemingly caused by doubting internal voices, responding to the incredible pressure of the Olympic environment – no matter what. We who are watching tear up. We hurt for the athlete and their loved ones who’ve sacrificed so much to earn the right to be on that stage.

And let’s not forget… you only get a chance at redemption four years later. And you have to address the questions. Why this? How come that? It must be so very difficult.

 

Coping with Olympic success as well as defeat...

Years ago, Michael Phelps made a movie called “The Weight of Gold” about how it’s becoming more and more common for past Olympic athletes to struggle after the their Olympic careers are over; more and more are dying by suicide.  If you’re imminently successful, then that glamour and glory is gone. You’re left to your own devices to build a life after the Olympics. And it’s terrifically difficult – even someone of Phelps’ stature fought against a deep depression. He won that battle, but not before he’d faced some of the demons that had led him into that swimming pool, day after day, hour after hour.

Simone Biles, who of course has had unprecedented success as an Olympic gymnast, also has been open about her mental and emotional struggles. When you first heard about her bowing out of the Beijing Olympics, were you able to put yourself in her shoes? Could you disappoint your boss, or your family, or your kids – due to your own concerns about your mental health? How many times have you done things that you realized on a core level might harm you, but you went ahead and did it? Would there be a limit to that? What would the boundary be for you to say, “No, I can’t.”

It took Olympic courage for her to do just that. And perhaps that very choice taught her fans a lesson that had nothing to do with gymnastics. And everything to do with self-care and self-acceptance.

The 2026 Olympians… 

So how will our 2026 Olympians fare? Linday Vonn. Ilia Malinin. How will they return to “normal” life, and cope with their disappointment and defeat?

What I do know… is that failure can be a great teacher. Mistakes bring with them learning and even wisdom. Self-compassion can go a long way in healing.

We shall all hope that the excitement and joy we had in watching the 2026 Olympic games, watching athletes from all over the world compete – some winning, many losing – that we not forget to show our gratitude and pride for their efforts.

Photo by YL Lew.