Olympics Shine a Spotlight on Mental Health Versus Crumbling Under Pressure

Superstar Olympic athletes Eileen Gu, Chloe Kim, Ireen Wust and Nathan Chen were expected to dominate in their respective sports. So far, they have. Champion skier Mikaela Shiffrin and Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu were expected to dominate too. So far, they haven't. The Winter Olympics are offering up the usual amount of drama, but given the high profile exit of gymnast Simone Biles just a few months ago at the Summer Olympics, the topic of mental health is coming once again front and center. Yet Biles' story included sexual abuse, mistreatment and intense personal scrutiny.

Shiffrin and others in the Winter Olympics so far have tried and failed. Athletes on the global stage all have overwhelming pressure. The ones who fail are getting accolades now for their willingness to talk honestly about their failures. At the same time, failure and disappointment is not the same as a mental health struggle. Not every athlete who underperforms in relation to expectations is struggling from mental health issues. Some are struggling with the normal pressure of expectations and emotions that come with competing on the global stage. And part of the journey of a champion is to overcome that internal doubt and perform anyway. Like Lindsey Jacobellis, perhaps the greatest Olympic story of perseverance you're likely to read from this year's games.