CW: Eating Disorders, Sexual Assault, Pedophilia
Words by Ash Buick (they/them)
The Olympics often stir a sense of national pride as we ‘take down the big guys’ on the international stage. Many eagerly track the medal tables, hoping to see their country climb the leaderboard. But how often do we consider the human cost behind those medals? The physical and mental toll that athletes have to bear, often without acknowledgement? Each new generation faces pressure to outperform the last, and with social media’s reach, any misstep is amplified.The performance of current athletes shapes the future of their sport, creating a relentless cycle of pressure and expectation.
In 2016, for the first time since 1968, the average age of female Olympic gymnasts was above 20. Between 1992 to 2004, the women’s all-around champions were children, the youngest just 15. This contrasts sharply with the men’s category, where every all-around champion has been an adult.
In women’s gymnastics, there’s a long-held belief that puberty is the enemy. Young athletes are taught to fear the day their careers might end due to physical changes. This fear drives them to train intensely, aspiring to reach Olympic levels as quickly as possible so they can stay at the top for longer. However, recent cycles show that adult women can still excel as champions. Despite this, young gymnasts are often subjected to strict diets that fail to meet their nutritional needs, fostering a culture where eating disorders are prevalent. Numerous studies indicate that such extreme training can delay physical development, including puberty. These children sacrifice a normal childhood to embody their nation's vicarious hopes and dreams.
The 2020 documentary Athlete A exposes the abuse within USA Gymnastics, where athletes were isolated from their families on ‘camps’ and subjected to sexual assault by Larry Nassar, a convicted pedophile, under the guise of ‘medical treatment’. Athletes like Maggie Nichols, who spoke out, faced retaliation, such as being dropped from the 2016 USA Olympic team.
While figure skating is a Winter Olympic sport, it shares similar issues with women’s gymnastics, particularly in Russia. The culture promotes eating disorders and lowers the ages of competitors. Russian coach Eteri Tutberidze is idolised for training the first ever female athlete to land a quad-axel in competition, yet many of her athletes end up retiring with serious injuries before the age of 18. Allegations suggest that she pushes her athletes to dehydrate and starve themselves to meet unrealistic weight targets, urging them to return to training immediately after injuries instead of allowing proper healing. There’s always a line of young girls ready to replace those that retire, as they see her tough methods as a requirement to succeed.
Kamila Valieva’s disqualification scandal in the 2022 winter Olympics highlighted the problems with Tutberidze’s methods. She was only 15 when she was banned from the Winter Olympics for doping. Even when Valieva was allowed to compete, the impact on her mental health hindered her performance. This case underscored the vulnerability of children in elite sports, especially when the adults meant to protect them have their own agendas. In response, the minimum age for figure skaters was raised to 17, though it remains to be seen if this change will lead to a more sustainable future for the sport.
High-performance sport organisations often fail to prioritise athlete welfare, as funding is tied to competitive success. As long as athletes are ‘successful enough’, there’s little incentive for organisational reform. Management are incentivised to brush-off allegations against individuals perceived as crucial to a team’s success. For smaller sports this funding model creates a catch-22: development is stifled without funding, but funding is unattainable without success.
Closer to home, High Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ) has faced criticism for its treatment of athletes. In 2021 HPSNZ announced a new strategy focusing on athlete wellbeing, and revised funding for individual sports. This reform followed the tragic death of Olympic track cyclist Olivia Podmore, highlighting systemic issues within Cycling NZ, including a lack of diversity, and a toxic culture that discouraged athletes from voicing concerns. The report revealed that many cyclists experienced trauma in the lead-up to, and during, the 2016 Olympics.
In Aotearoa we often elevate athletes and coaches, but our support wanes when they stop winning. We completely disregard the type of skills and talents that a person needs to work in a high-performance sporting environment, and must recognise that progress is not linear. Significant systemic changes take time to yield results. Honestly, as a nation, we’ve gotten so accustomed to winning at international events that we as a country feel entitled to gold medals and world cup wins. We must now acknowledge the human cost.
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