The day after the Tokyo Olympics ended, there was bad news in New Zealand’s sports world. A young female athlete from the country reported that she was unbearable to lose the East Olympics. She was under tremendous pressure and finally chose to commit suicide. It was a pity that she also improved the mental health of elite athletes. The problem is made public again.
On August 9, New Zealand female driver Olivia Podmore, who had competed in the Rio Olympics with Li Huishi, the "God of the Bull and the Female Car", was found dead at home at the age of 24.
The local police have not yet confirmed the cause of death of Pumoya, but Eric Murray, a friend of Pumoya and New Zealand two-time rowing gold medalist, met him for the last time before his death. He described the incident as a tragedy and called for public attention. healthy.
According to reports, Pumoya represented New Zealand in the three events of the 2016 Rio Olympic Track Cycling Race, but failed to win the medal; however, she gradually improved in a number of events in 2017 and 2019 and won multiple gold medals. .
In this Tokyo Olympics, although Pumoya qualified for the competition, he still failed to be selected for the national team and missed the opportunity to represent New Zealand. The outside world speculated that his life might be related to this.
The picture shows the New Zealand station of the "World Cup Track Cycling Race" on December 6, 2019. Pumoya (right) and teammate Natasha Hansen holding gold medals to celebrate the women's team race to win the championship.
(Getty Images)
A post by Pumoya on social platforms deepened this speculation.
She wrote on Instagram a few hours before her death: “Sports is a struggle full of struggling but happy battles. The feeling of winning is unparalleled, but the same is true of losing. When you qualify, but you are not selected in the end; when you are injured, or can’t do it. Buying a house, getting married, having children, and betting everything for sports that the society expects is unmatched by other things.” This post was subsequently deleted.
Pumoya clearly revealed the pressure faced by the athletes between the lines. The president of the New Zealand Sports Association also confirmed that Pumoya had asked him for help and said that he would review the handling process for any impropriety.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee mourned its relatives and friends and said it would provide emotional support to athletes in need.
Athletes’ mental health has become a major theme of this year’s Eastern Olympics. In addition to the American women’s gymnastics star Simone Biles who previously announced his retirement due to psychological pressure, the death of Pumoya has once again aroused public attention to the mental health of elite athletes. problem.
The "Hong Kong 01" e-weekly newspaper took this opportunity to interview sports psychologists, revealing to readers the pressures faced by athletes and the various emotional problems that result from them, and trying to explore how psychological factors affect sports performance, and after the Tokyo Olympics , Will society's expectations of athletes be different from now on?
For more details, please read the 278th "Hong Kong 01" Electronic Weekly Newsletter (August 16, 2021) "
Behind the Retirement of the Famous Gymnasts from Eastern Olympics: Sports Psychology Science Needs Development
".
If you want to read the full text, please
click here to
sample the weekly e-newsletter and browse more in-depth reports.
