How organizers plan to help athletes manage mental pressure – Firstpost

Simone Biles brought the topic of mental health into the spotlight three years ago during the postponed Tokyo Olympics. The American gymnast withdrew from most of her events in Japan mid-Games after battling mental health issues and “twisties” – a disorienting sensation in the air that is known to affect some gymnasts.

Tennis player Naomi Osaka did much the same during the 2021 French Open, revealing struggles with depression and anxiety. Osaka, who lit the Olympic cauldron in Tokyo, brought a change in the way tennis – particularly Roland Garros – deals with the mental pressure placed on athletes.

As the Paris Olympics approach, it will be a test of how Paris Games organizers deal with athletes’ mental health and whether greater awareness has translated into better care and support.

As the start of Paris 2024 approaches on July 26, local organizers, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international sports federations were keen to emphasize that lessons have been learned.

“Seventy percent of Olympians only have one Olympic experience. We want to try and make sure that this is the best experience they can have,” Kirsty Burrows, head of safe sport at the IOC, told the AFP news agency.

How are Paris 2024 organizers preparing to help athletes?

For the first time at the Olympics, competitors in Paris will have access to a “mindfulness and relaxation space” above the village’s main gym, called the “365 Athlete365 Mind Zone”.

Competitors will be offered virtual reality headsets for meditation, sleep pods and even art activities, all in a dimly lit environment designed to be calming and quiet.

“It will be very zen, like a futuristic spa,” Burrows added.

Also in the village, athletes will have an alcohol-free bar and social spaces to help them relax, as well as guides on how to maintain good mental hygiene by avoiding too much screen time.

“In the same way that no athlete would think of gorging on burgers and treats before a competition, it is not good to gorge on videos on social networks while binge-watching TikTok or Instagram,” said Laurent Dalard, Paris 2024 health coordinator, to the press. March.

A mental health helpline in 70 languages ​​will also be available to all Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

About 90 national teams will bring their own mental health workers, using a new type of accreditation for the Games that has only been available since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Burrows said.

Research suggests that elite athletes suffer from mental health disorders at the same rates as the general population.

But Dalard points out that they are “more vulnerable to situations like anxiety disorders or depression, given their complicated lives and the intense pressure they face.”

According to Marion Leboyer, psychiatrist and founder of FondaMental, a French research foundation, “around one in three athletes present symptoms of a mental health problem”.

Threat of trolls to mental health

The Paris Olympics will also see efforts to combat cyber-harassment and bullying taken to new levels thanks to AI.

“I’m really happy that social media and athletes are being trolled when it comes to cybersecurity,” Alan Currie, a British psychiatrist who advises the IOC, told AFP. “It’s a huge step forward because it’s a real pressure point for athletes.”

Like FIFA, World Rugby and some English Premier League football clubs, the IOC will partner with London-based data company Signify.ai to eliminate abusive messages among the billions expected during the Games.

Signify uses artificial intelligence to monitor messages to athletes on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok or X (formerly Twitter) in 35 languages, flagging any potential harassment or threats.

“Anything that violates the criminal code will be sent to law enforcement,” Burrows said.

The 15,000 athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be offered this service, which will be on an optional basis.

Which athletes have spoken openly about mental health?

Long a taboo subject, many of them are now opening up about their struggles thanks to revelations from stars like Biles, Osaka and even Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe.

This has trickled down to lesser-known sports.

Slovenian climbing champion Janja Garnbret, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, has denounced the problem of anorexia in the climbing community where lightness is an advantage.

“Do we want to raise the next generation of skeletons? Brittle hair, dull expressions, trying to show everyone that you’re okay, but are you really? she asked in an Instagram post last July.

Under pressure, the International Climbing Federation announced health checks for competitors to help identify climbers at risk.

Most recently, multiple gold medalist Marie-José Perec revealed more about her shock decision to abandon the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“Everyone could see that things were not going well, but no one understood,” the sprinter told Tribune newspaper.

Her departure aroused little sympathy in Australia where a national newspaper dubbed her “Miss Chicken» on the first page.

(with contributions from AFP)