{"id":1788114,"date":"2026-02-23T09:24:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T06:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1788114"},"modified":"2026-02-23T09:24:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T06:24:12","slug":"after-the-closing-ceremony-the-reality-of-post-olympic-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1788114","title":{"rendered":"After the Closing Ceremony: The Reality of Post-Olympic Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_264137\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-264137\" style=\"width: 1179px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-264137 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAIBAQMAAADj75wdAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD9JREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T+1tB6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOAOiUQAB7lchmAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"Valet\" width=\"640\" height=\"513\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/46F6D544-FB0F-4005-BB90-E92B09BC28BB-min.jpeg?resize=640%2C513&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/46F6D544-FB0F-4005-BB90-E92B09BC28BB-min.jpeg?w=1179&amp;ssl=1 1179w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/46F6D544-FB0F-4005-BB90-E92B09BC28BB-min.jpeg?resize=300%2C240&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/46F6D544-FB0F-4005-BB90-E92B09BC28BB-min.jpeg?resize=768%2C616&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/46F6D544-FB0F-4005-BB90-E92B09BC28BB-min.jpeg?resize=600%2C481&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"513\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-264137\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/46F6D544-FB0F-4005-BB90-E92B09BC28BB-min.jpeg?resize=640%2C513&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Valet\" width=\"640\" height=\"513\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-264137\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valet Alex Deibold. | Picture: Alex Deibold Instagram Account<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-2-91481404\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-2-91481404\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"2\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-1-77683555\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-1-77683555\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"1\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>As the Olympic hymn rang out in Verona and the flag was bundled up and passed to the French organizers for 2030, the world bid farewell to the Winter Games for another four years.<\/strong> Athletes have begun returning home\u2014or some have already returned home, especially those with families. The first weeks after the Games will be filled with interviews, sponsor appearances, and celebration. They will bask in the Olympic afterglow.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/chloe-kim-is-taking-a-break-from-snowboarding-to-prioritize-her-mental-health\/\"><em>Chloe Kim is Taking a Break from Snowboarding to Prioritize Her Mental Health<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>But soon, the spotlight dims, the adrenaline fades, and for many, something much quieter sets in: post-Olympic depression.\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cEvery athlete can struggle with the post-Olympic hangover,\u201d U.S. Olympic snowboard cross bronze medalist Alex Deibold says. \u201cYou\u2019ve spent four years working toward this one goal. Then it\u2019s over. And you\u2019re left asking: What now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Deibold knows the terrain well.<\/strong> The Vermont native spent nearly two decades on the U.S. Snowboard Team. After narrowly missing Olympic selection in 2010, he traveled to the Games anyway as a wax technician and alternate, determined to stay close to his dream. His perseverance paid off when he qualified for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, winning bronze in snowboard cross. He missed out on the 2018 qualification but later qualified again for Beijing in 2022; however, he missed out due to an injury.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Yet his first depressive episode hit after his first success.<\/strong> \u201cMy first depression happened when I won a bronze medal in 2014,\u201d Deibold says. \u201cI climbed a mountain, I won a bronze medal, and I reached the top\u2014and there is only one way from there. And that is down.\u201d With the Olympics only held every four years, Deibold explains how jarring it is when the spotlight suddenly shifts and how he struggled to find a new goal and a new peak.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/inside-the-silent-battle-the-prevalence-of-eating-disorders-among-elite-winter-sports-athletes\/\"><strong><em>Inside the Silent Battle: The Prevalence of Eating Disorders Among Elite Winter Sports Athletes<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Post-Olympic depression can affect any athlete, regardless of whether they have hit the peak and are coming down or are simply facing another four-year cycle. <\/strong>The attention these athletes face\u2014a camera following their every move for weeks, every breath televised and scrutinized \u2014coupled with the excitement and adrenaline rush of being at the Olympics, invariably leaves young athletes particularly prone to falling into a hole.\u00a0Yet young, inexperienced athletes are not the only ones facing the slump. For athletes announcing retirement, like slalom skier Dave Ryding or AJ Ginnis, \u00a0the challenge can be existential. Deibold describes it as follows: \u201cYou spend your entire athletic career thinking who you are as a human and who you are as an athlete are the same person,\u201d he says. \u201cThen suddenly they\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_218840\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-218840\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-218840 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFiAQMAAABcZ\/t0AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADNJREFUeNrtwYEAAAAAw6D5Ux\/hAlUBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA3wBwAgABqxC5swAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"Mikaela Shiffrin\" width=\"640\" height=\"354\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FLIHJ6uXMAMZnbh.jpg?resize=640%2C354&amp;ssl=1\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"354\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-218840\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FLIHJ6uXMAMZnbh.jpg?resize=640%2C354&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mikaela Shiffrin\" width=\"640\" height=\"354\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-218840\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A disconsolate Mikaela Shiffrin at the 2022 Olympics after skiing out of the slalom. | Image: AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Deibold himself wrestled with retirement.<\/strong> He qualified for the 2022 Games but was hospitalized and ultimately unable to compete. \u201cI did not want my last race to end with me being taken away in a helicopter,\u201d he says. He returned to compete again in 2023 to mentally close the chapter. \u201cAlmost three years retired now, and there are still days that are hard,\u201d he admits. \u201cThere are still days when I go, \u2018Do I still got it?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What he misses most is not just the adrenaline. <\/strong>\u201cI miss feeling important. I miss being the best in the world at something. I was one of the best humans on the planet in my skill set. I was ranked in the top 10 for several years. Right now, I\u2019m a program director. Am I a top-10 program director in the world? Probably not. It doesn\u2019t feel like it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>That identity shift\u2014from elite performer to ordinary professional\u2014can be jarring.<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10513329\/\">Studies<\/a> have shown that retired elite athletes face significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment, and substance abuse than the general population. Elite athletes spend years equating who they are with what they do. Untangling the two can be destabilizing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The way you go out is another issue fraught with issues.<\/strong> \u201cIn athletics, you understand you have a finite timeline,\u201d Deibold says. \u201cYou want to write the end of your own story.\u201d He points to Australian snowboarder Scotty James, who entered the 2026 Games aiming for gold but finished with silver. \u201cI\u2019m a patriotic American, but in the men\u2019s halfpipe, I wanted Scotty James to win,\u201d Deibold admits unashamedly. \u201cI watched Scotty James, and I know that he is the best snowboarder in the world, and he has the ability to win, and he has the runs and the difficulty and all those things. So to come up and win another silver medal\u2026,\u201d he trails off. He is wondering what James will do with a little time, because he knows the pressure that gets put on older athletes\u2014Scotty is 31 now, and he knows the questions the press asks of athletes over 30. \u201cThat\u2019s always the question that they ask older athletes: \u2018What\u2019s next for you?\u2019\u2014it is cruel.\u201d He understands James disappointment. \u201cWinning a silver medal is amazing, but when you expect to win\u2026,\u201d he trails off.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_392406\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-392406\" style=\"width: 1480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-392406 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGrAQMAAABqgLQIAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T+1tB6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgDIcbAAEnbF1FAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2797.webp?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2797.webp?w=1480&amp;ssl=1 1480w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2797.webp?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2797.webp?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2797.webp?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2797.webp?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2797.webp?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"427\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-392406\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2797.webp?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-392406\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Scotty James devastatingly falling short of his goal of an Olympic gold at Livigno. | Image: AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-4-47809810\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-4-47809810\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"4\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-3-81616135\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-3-81616135\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"3\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Deibold knows that the emotional weight of falling short of your goal can linger for a long time.<\/strong> He fought hard for his Olympic comeback in 2022, but an injury ended his story in a way he hadn\u2019t planned. Deibold credits much of his post-career stability to The <a href=\"https:\/\/proathletecommunity.com\/\">Pro Athlete Community (PAC),<\/a> a nonprofit organization that supports current and former elite athletes navigating transition. \u201dI watched the Olympics on TV,\u201d Deibold explains. \u201cI watched my peers competing\u2014and I miss it,\u201d he adds. \u201cI miss the group of humans who have lived through what I have lived through. They understand what it means when you say you\u2019re having a shit day. Some people I have met in PAC\u2014football players\u2014they feel exactly the same feelings. Who am I as a human versus who am I as an athlete?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>PAC combines peer-based mental health support with practical career development.<\/strong> It offers workshops, mentorship, networking opportunities, and structured \u201cimmersion weeks\u201d where athletes can explore career options from real estate to public speaking. \u201cThe value I find at PAC, especially as a man, is that it\u2019s a place where you can go and be vulnerable,\u201d Deibold says. \u201cYou will see grown men cry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>The peer element is critical.<\/strong> \u201cThere is no one who quite understands it like other athletes,\u201d he says. \u201cSome of the football players I met there feel all the exact same feelings. Who am I as a human versus who am I as an athlete?\u201d Beyond emotional support, PAC provides tangible career pathways \u2014even setting up job interviews. \u201cA lot of the time, as an athlete, you get told, \u2018When you retire, call me,\u2019 and then they don\u2019t get back to you,\u201d Deibold says. \u201cPAC puts their money where their mouth is.\u201d Through the mentorship at PAC, he learned to identify transferable skills\u2014grit, discipline, communication\u2014that extend beyond sport.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But even for athletes who have reached everything in snow sports: the Olympic gold, the World Cup victories, podiums, and crystal globes, retirement can hit hard\u2014especially when it\u2019s not on your own terms.<\/strong> \u201cLindsey Vonn is an example of an athlete who has all the money in the world,\u201d Deibold admits that some might be wondering why she is still going, but for him, it is clear. \u201cLindsey is an example of: she is still doing it because she loves it and because she can.\u201d And Lindsey Vonn did\u2014she won two races and podiumed in several others, putting her currently in the lead of the downhill standings and qualifying for her fifth Olympics. \u201cAnyone who faults her for that does it out of jealousy and out of envy. I think what she has done is so inspiring and so incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>However, when the Olympic flame goes dark, public attention quickly moves on for most.<\/strong> For athletes, the transition is slower and often lonelier. \u201cI think a lot of these athletes are up on pedestals,\u201d Deibold says. \u201cThey\u2019re cool. They\u2019re celebrated. But after the closing ceremony, it\u2019s, \u2018What\u2019s next?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>His advice is simple: \u201cCheck in on those humans. <\/strong>Ask them how they\u2019re doing. They are still amazing athletes when the whole world isn\u2019t watching. They are still amazing human beings when their TikToks aren\u2019t going viral.\u201d Because when the Olympic flame is extinguished, the real, hard, quiet work outside the limelight begins.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_391349\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-391349\" style=\"width: 1878px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-391349 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFjAQMAAACXOyjRAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADNJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20MH6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAgwFwUwABA68WcQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"355\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2734.jpeg?resize=640%2C355&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2734.jpeg?w=1878&amp;ssl=1 1878w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2734.jpeg?resize=300%2C167&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2734.jpeg?resize=1200%2C666&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2734.jpeg?resize=768%2C427&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2734.jpeg?resize=1536%2C853&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2734.jpeg?resize=600%2C333&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2734.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"355\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-391349\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2734.jpeg?resize=640%2C355&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"355\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-391349\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heartbreak summed up in a picture\u2014Atle Lie McGrath walking off the race course. | Image: Screenshot live coverage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 2 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Valet Alex Deibold. | Picture: Alex Deibold Instagram Account As the Olympic hymn rang out in Verona and the flag was bundled up and passed to the French organizers for 2030, the world bid farewell to the Winter Games for another four years. Athletes have begun returning home\u2014or some have already returned home, especially those [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1788114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1788114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1788114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1788114\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1788114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1788114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1788114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}