Top athletes find it easier to talk about their mental health

Biles withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to the immense mental pressure she was experiencing, highlighting this importance of this issue among top athletes. — AFP

Competing on the world stage, Olympic athletes face immense pressure to perform their best and represent their country well.

Mental health dominated Olympic conversations in 2021 after US gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics, citing a disconnect between her brain and body, and writing that she felt “the weight of the world on [her] shoulders”.