Athletes Retirements Thread

[Grassmarket 3,626]

British middle-distance runner Laura Weightman also has to quit after a long sequence of injuries.

 

https://www.instagram.com/lauraweightman1/?img_index=1

[Makedonas 2,200]

23 yo  diver Nikolaos Molvalis (25th at the 2023 Worlds in 10m platform)

 

He was our biggest chance to qualify a diver to the Olympics for the first time since 2012. He didn't develop as we thought after he was 23rd in 2019 as a 19 yo but still seemed to have a solid chance at qualifying for Paris.

 

He said he didn't want to take a year off school to risk it for the Olympics (it case he didn't qualify) especially since he doesn't have a program with a high enough difficulty score to fulfill his Olympic dream. He said that we don't have the facilities to attempt more difficult dives, that there are only two pools in all of Greece with such capability, otherwise he would risk injury. 

 

He blamed the Greek federation for not being able to protect his future, and he said that if he made a mistake at the 2024 Worlds and didn't qualify for Paris because of it, that he would waste a year of his life (not being able to study) and that it was too much of a risk. He said when he notified the federation of his decision to stop diving, they didn't even care or try to help him or convince him to stay, they were indifferent and did not even thank him for his contributions to the sport in our country (being by far our best diver of the last decade, not that it's a high standard but still).

 

He said only the national team coach reached out to him and thanked him and supported him. No one else from the federation cared.

[Makedonas 2,200]

...and another two young  retirements, also from aquatics...

 

19 yo artistic swimmers Eleni Fragkaki and Krystallenia Gialama, both of whom were part of our Tokyo Olympic team that traveled to Japan, stayed in the Olympic village, but didn't get to actually compete due to multiple positive Covid cases in the team.

 

Well it looks like they'll never get to compete in the Olympics now, they are quitting the sport after being kicked out from the national team a few days ago. So from the 8 young girls who were a part of that team that didn't get to compete in Tokyo (after we qualified for the first time since 2004!), only 2 of them are still with the national team (3 if you include the alternate). Most of the girls were teenagers and it seemed that they would have more chances to go to the Olympics.

 

Both girls moved from other parts of the country to Athens at age 14 to train with the national team. They competed at the World Championships in 2019, 2022 and 2023, and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. Now, just a few months away from the 2024 World Championships, they are not being given the chance to compete and qualify for the Paris Olympics. They said they have no regrets, and that these experiences shaped their character, but now it feels like everything was a waste.

 

This came after the federation did an annual test of about 30-40 girls after the summer. They thought their tests went well and many others, including the national team coach (!!!) also told them that they did well. Two days later, the national team coach (who is Russian and not Greek) called the girls and told them each the same thing, as if she was reading it from a piece of paper. They were told that they made some mistakes in the water at the test (there are not even any videos to see) and that they are too heavy, but the girls say they are the same weight they were in the last two years and they were never told that was a problem. They were also told that other, younger athletes deserve more opportunities, which the girls said maybe is a valid reason to remove them from the national team, but not to do it 4 months before the Olympic qualification event after spending years training with the team. They aren't even being given a fair opportunity to rejoin the national team, they are simply done. They believe the coaches have their favourites who they want to promote.

 

The girls are also shocked that this happened to them, after so many years with the national team and working with that coach, that out of nowhere she said they are not good enough. The coach doesn't seem to care, nor the federation, and the only people who reached out to them were their teammates. They also heard that now the atmosphere in the team is not so good, ever since they were kicked out, and that they have great relationships with the other girls in the team (who told them how it is not the same without them etc.)

 

Here is an interview from the girls (in Greek, it's too long for me to translate but quite shocking to hear some of the things they said) : https://aquafeed24.com/big-interview-aqf24-drimy-katigoro-orgi-kai-apokalypseis-apo-krystalenia-gialama-elena-fragkaki/

 

 

Some highlights:

-Both girls started university last year (one in medical school and one in dentistry), and they asked to take 1-2 hours per day for their studies, but were told they need to practice 10 hours a day and have to choose between their studies and the sport, that if they chose their studies they will be removed from the national team, and so they chose the sport (now they are going to focus on studies).

-They never got any money/support from the federation, not even 1 euro, but they didn't ever complain or go against the federation or the coaches, and now they are being kicked out with no reason.

-There were instances where they were promised some money and never received it, and then told it was their fault for not asking for the money.

-The federation rented a house for girls who were from outside Athens (these teenage girls were living by themselves in the house), and it was a small house for 4 people and at one point 11 girls were living there. They were told originally that the federation would provide them food, that also did not happen, and the girls in the house had to make their own food or eat food from their families which they froze. The house was far from the training centre and no one helped them transport themselves, they were completely on their own in a new city.

-After summer 2022, the girls were getting ready to go back to the rented house in Athens, and a week before they were notified that they can't stay there because it is only for girls under 18. No one ever told them about this "rule" and they lived like nomads until February bouncing around to different relatives houses until they found a place.

-The federation would brag/exaggerate in interviews about how they would support the team and that they were all working with a psychologist, but the girls say they only had a psychologist twice in one year.

 

Despite all of this, the girls said they still loved the sport and wanted to pursue their Olympic dreams no matter what, until the national team coach ended that dream for them. They say it has happened to other girls in the past too, which doesn't surprise me seeing most of the girls from the Tokyo team have disappeared, and the Alexandri sisters are now winning medals for Austria, a country they had nothing to do with before getting citizenship...

Edited October 7, 2023 by Makedonas

[Makedonas 2,200]

If you think our aquatics federation is bad after the two above posts, wait until you hear about our football, sailing, rowing, and wrestling federations 

[rybak 3,239]

Joanna Jóźwik (athletics - 800m) announced retirement yesterday. She, in theory, was second among womens in final during Rio Olympics.

[Monzanator 4,611]

Lucas Braathen (alpine skiing) has retired at the age of 23.

[phelps 7,857]

  On 10/27/2023 at 10:24 AM, Monzanator said:

Lucas Braathen (alpine skiing) has retired at the age of 23.

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some details (awful story)

 

https://www.eurosport.com/alpine-skiing/solden/2023-2024/lucas-braathen-norwegian-world-cup-slalom-champion-announces-retirement-from-skiing-aged-23_sto9855135/story.shtml

[heywoodu 15,353]

  On 10/27/2023 at 11:39 AM, phelps said:

some details (awful story)

 

https://www.eurosport.com/alpine-skiing/solden/2023-2024/lucas-braathen-norwegian-world-cup-slalom-champion-announces-retirement-from-skiing-aged-23_sto9855135/story.shtml

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What do you mean, awful story? Eurosport is basically just listing his achievements and at the end it's someone else saying that he said he is retiring....are there any details mentioned anywhere, any reason or anything at all other than him feeling like he achieved what he wanted?

 

Very sad to see this though, if nothing else that's it for Brazilian blood in the top of the world in (non-para) winter sports  

 

Edit: NRK has some more information, a fight with the skiing federation or something?

https://www.nrk.no/sport/skimiljoet-rystet-etter-braathen-avsloring_-_-katastrofe-1.16613435

 

Of course we don't know exactly what happened, but it wouldn't exactly be the first time a federation drives athletes to retirement. Too bad for the Brazilian federation the NRK item mentioned he isn't planning a switch to Brazil  

Edited October 27, 2023 by heywoodu

[LuizGuilherme 280]

Just do your job 

[phelps 7,857]

  On 10/27/2023 at 12:47 PM, heywoodu said:

What do you mean, awful story? Eurosport is basically just listing his achievements and at the end it's someone else saying that he said he is retiring....are there any details mentioned anywhere, any reason or anything at all other than him feeling like he achieved what he wanted?

 

Very sad to see this though, if nothing else that's it for Brazilian blood in the top of the world in (non-para) winter sports  

 

Edit: NRK has some more information, a fight with the skiing federation or something?

https://www.nrk.no/sport/skimiljoet-rystet-etter-braathen-avsloring_-_-katastrofe-1.16613435

 

Of course we don't know exactly what happened, but it wouldn't exactly be the first time a federation drives athletes to retirement. Too bad for the Brazilian federation the NRK item mentioned he isn't planning a switch to Brazil  

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I mean that forcing a young talent like him to retire not to compromise his mental health because he feels that he's not being treated like he deserves by an institution that's supposed to protect their "assets" rather than getting them so uncomfortable is absolutely an awful story (I didn't even read the whole article, I was just thinking of this situation in general terms)