When the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, announced the postponement of the Olympic Games at the end of March, the dreams and life plans of many top athletes suddenly collapsed. It's a time when my phone rings more often than usual - I've been supporting the German eight team as a sports psychologist for many years.
In the four years that an Olympic cycle lasts, the psychological strain on the athletes increases continuously. Once the last World Championships have been held in August, the Olympic year usually begins in October. From then on, the hot phase begins with training camps and internal competitions. Five nerve-wracking months until the teams in the boats are finalised. Many criteria play a role here - fears, uncertainties, disappointments and hopes that can then be dashed. All of this coupled with training outside of Germany, far away from family and social surroundings.
Then came the moment that threw everything into a spin - Covid-19 hit in the middle of the final preparations for the Olympic Games, resulting in the postponement of the Summer Games in Tokyo. What does that mean for the athlete? Simply put, from one hundred to zero. Professional and private planning and ideas - cancelled from one day to the next, without any warning. The stressful feeling of being up in the air, not knowing whether and how things will continue. There is little public discussion about the psychological, physical and financial consequences.
Training usually continues, of course several times a day. However, without perspective and without being able to measure yourself. Constantly pushing yourself to your limits and not knowing exactly what for - not very conducive to motivation. If you decide to become a competitive athlete, you want the comparison, you need the competition like the air you breathe. It's not just athletes and coaches who bear the burden. Partners, family and friends also suffer. Everything private has to take a back seat, in the Olympic year there is little room for anything other than the competitions. This time is now twice as long. It remains unclear whether it will be possible to make a mark in 2021 and try to reap the rewards of years of training. Not an easy time for relationships.
There was an initial sigh of relief last week when it was decided that the European Championships in October were a possibility for the rowers. At last there is a goal again and the prospect of international competition. Nevertheless, for the athletes who saw the chance to be considered for team formation this autumn, it is now a case of waiting, hoping and training for another year. That demands a lot. I have great respect for each and every one of them, not just since corona of course, but even more so now. And I am full of expectation that the German eight team will also master this special challenge.