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Is the Medal Worth the Long-Term Damage?
The conclusion of the women’s figure skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing once again highlights the utter lack of care given to athletes’ physical and mental health for the sake of the win. Two out of three Russian skaters broke down sobbing as the results were announced. One believed anything less than first place was a loss, so her silver medal meant nothing. The other placed fourth, after skating one of her worst performances in the freestyle event, which she was allowed to participate in despite positive test results for a banned substance. The third was left alone, with only a stuffed animal for company as she learned that she was an Olympic Gold Medalist. Everyone else was busy handling the meltdowns of her teammates.
The Olympics is supposed to be a place where elite athletes come together to compete in the sports to which they’ve devoted their entire lives. These people are beyond passionate about what they do, and just to make it to the Games is a victory.
Yet the lengths that it appears some athletes are pushed not only to arrive at the Games but to take home that gold makes me wonder if it’s really worth it. Those sobbing skaters are all teenagers with still-developing bodies. Overtraining such young athletes can leave them with permanent ailments that cut short any potential long-term career. But when they can pull…
