Assistant professor of sports psychology Polina Hadzhiyankova from the Department of “Psychology, Pedagogy and Sociology“ at the National Sports Academy “Vasil Levski“ was a guest on the program “Today of the Games“ on BNT. She analyzed the psychological lessons from the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina and explained what lies behind the emotions, triumphs and disappointments on the biggest sports stage.
"We had more than one example of how important mental resilience is. We saw violent reactions and surprising rankings“, said Hadzhiyankova.
She commented on the reaction of Norwegian skier Atle Limagrad, who sought solitude after his elimination.
"There is a theory of the five stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. In his case, we saw an expression of anger - the second stage. In my opinion, he burned out, because the expectations for him were huge, and he himself probably wanted to dedicate the success to his loved one“, explained the specialist.
According to her, elite sport is a prestigious and highly public activity, but behind the medals are human beings.
"No matter how psychologically prepared they are, athletes experience their emotions like the rest of us. We should not forget the human factor“, she stressed.
Hadzhiyankova pointed out that the Olympic Games are distinguished by their scale and the pressure they bring.
„Studies show that Olympians have higher mental resilience. An important factor is the so-called ‘sampling’ - children practicing more than one sport at an early age. This reduces the risk of burnout and injuries. Another key element is conscious practice - to work on your weaknesses, not just on what you already know well“, she said.
As a positive example, she pointed to Mikaela Shiffrin, who went from disappointment to triumph within hours.
"She openly talks about her work with a sports psychologist, about her doubts and about the trauma after a serious accident. This is an example of a conscious attitude towards mental health. Sometimes the key is acceptance – even when the pain remains“, the specialist commented.
According to her, the challenges do not end with the end of the Games.
"After the Olympics, the so-called post-Olympic blues often appear – a feeling of emptiness. The adrenaline suddenly disappears and the athlete has to process the intense emotions. It is a myth that a sports psychologist is only needed after a loss. Sometimes support is even more important after a great success“, concluded assistant Polina Hadzhiyankova.