“People Just Didn’t Consider it a Possibility”: Mikaela Shiffrin Opens Up on Watching Simone Biles Take a Stand for her Mental Health

Following Simone Biles and her mental health stance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, athletes around the world have begun to address the topic that was in dire need of the spotlight. Notably, one of the many voices raised is that of alpine ski champion, Mikaela Shiffrin.

Pressure and stress during the Olympics often take a negative toll on the performers. And even though the focus has now shifted to the mental health and wellbeing of athletes, the unprecedented pressure continues to break many.

Shiffrin recently talked about how despite being icons of the game, both Simone Biles and swimmer Caeleb Dressel struggled with their mental health. She talked about how one can’t lose focus on their performance, even after being burdened with the world’s expectations.

“It is not easy to win”: Mikaela Shiffrin

Mostly purely out of their fandom, fans and followers often tend to have unreal expectations of their favorite athletes. Without grasping the difficulty always, they demand nothing less than a win.

Something similar happened with US star gymnast, Simone Biles. With unprecedented pressure mounting on Biles, she found it difficult to focus on her performance and thereby, withdrew from the Olympic games, citing mental health concerns. She experienced a case of ‘twisties’ and felt that it would be fatal for her if she continued.

Opening up about the same, Shiffrin now says that when it comes to Biles, people didn’t even consider the possibility of her not winning. It was all about the gold medal for them.

“It wouldn?t have been a ?disappointment; people just didn?t even consider it a possibility. And what I know from that kind of pressure is: It is not easy to win. Ever,” said Shiffrin.

Additionally, she also mentioned American swimmer, Caeleb Dressel. Even after becoming the Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020, Dressel still felt distressed. The athlete had previously talked about how difficult it is to face that one moment, which will decide all his life’s hard work.

“He won all of the gold medals that were in Tokyo and, like, STILL felt that way,” says Mikaela.

The level of pressure that Shiffrin faces

Shiffrin, being a World Champion herself, faces similar levels of pressure. Coach Mike Day spoke about how no matter what happens, people expect her to win at all costs.

“Everybody expects, every time she steps in the start gate ? no matter the event, no matter the preparation, no matter anything ? that she?s going to win the race,” he said.

With Winter Games only days away now, the world’s eyes will turn to Beijing. Mounting pressure, unprecedented expectations, and the risk of life at the biggest of all stages, certainly, athletes deserve not only our support but also our compassion and empathy.

READ MORE: ?Too Easy?: Shaun White and Mikaela Shiffrin Indulge in Hilarious Twitter Banter Over Snowboarding Vs Skiing