That is just it. She now gets not only the athletic endorsements, but she now becomes the mental health poster child for athletes.
Understand at that level and all professional sports levels there is a team psychologist. We rarely here about them, but they exist to help athletes’ cope at that level.
In this case it could very well be the coach and team psych failed to prepare her for not being #1 all the time. And the other half of this could very well be is it isn’t really a breakdown. The delay of even a year to which she anticipated retiring from the sport could have something to do with. But she should not have quit, it should have been her coach pulling her out.
There is a lot to unpack. But she could have retired during the pandemic, instead she thought she could mentally handle another year for the money at the end. She couldn’t.
She’ll go on to gain additional endorsements though talking about mental well being and how important it is. Never realizing or maybe admitting she neglected hers for fame and fortune. It is a high price to pay for the illusion.
She choked. She did poorly and then quit on her team for the nation’s competition.
She was going to sit out until the individual events. Appears she was told that doesn’t work. So she announces she’s bagging out entirely.
Her teammates hate her guts. More on that to come.