Head games

The world will tune in to the Olympic Games beginning July 23, eager to see the globe’s best athletes competing in 33 sports. The Weight of Gold, a documentary narrated by swimming champion Michael Phelps and currently streaming on HBO Max, addresses the overlooked mental health costs of competing at the highest level. The film debuted a year ago, but because the coronavirus pandemic postponed the 2020 Tokyo Games until 2021, it’s still worth watching this summer.

The film reveals what Olympic athletes often face but rarely talk about: When they botch a performance, the accolades fade, the media slams them, or their competing years end, the stress can push them to fear, uncertainty, isolation, depression, even suicide.

Phelps won 28 medals across five Summer Olympics and experienced his own mental health crises. In one segment, he discusses what led to his arrests for drunk driving but doesn’t excuse his behavior. He had to confront himself: “Who am I out of the swimming pool?” He interviews other Olympians who’ve struggled with success and failure and had trouble finding help.

The athletes explain what happens when their identity depends upon the Olympics. Freestyle skier Jeremy Bloom, figure skater Sasha Cohen, and track hurdler and bobsledder Lolo Jones talk about self-criticism and trying to cope after failing at the Olympics. Bloom says, “I know people have bigger problems, but for Olympians, that’s your life.” Cohen says, “I didn’t develop outside interests. … We’re Olympic athletes. We’re not sure if we’re anything else.” Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno says gold medal winners are loved, but fourth-place winners simply disappear.

Even gold medalists get depressed. Olympic snowboarder Shaun White admits: “After every Olympics, win or lose, I felt a dramatic emptiness. … Your whole world is built around this one day … so much expectation and pressure … what am I going to do next?” Skier Bode Miller says athletes expect the sport will miss them when they’re gone, but “the reality is like, ‘Bye.’” There’s always another athlete behind them.

Two narrative shortfalls in this documentary, rated TV-14 for an F-bomb and suicide discussion: Phelps never talks with anyone from the International Olympic Committee about why the former Olympians he interviews had a hard time finding mental health support. (The IOC in recent years seems to have stepped up awareness of the problem.) And although Olympic diver David Boudia, a Christian, mentions his faith helped him deal with the pressures, the film doesn’t explore what he means and how his identity rests in Christ first. It’s a glaring weakness in an hour otherwise well spent.