Olympian battled a mental wall

Olympic medallist Eliza McCartney has spoken of the “type of mental illness” that almost derailed her chances of competing at the Rio Games.

McCartney, 19, said “mental blocks” stopped her from training for the first half of last year, part of her long- term buildup to Brazil.

“It’s not so much depression but an athlete’s mental block, like a type of mental illness,” she said.

“You want to snap out of it but you can’t. I didn’t know how to at that point, it’s much harder than an injury to deal with.”

Leading sports psychologist Karen Nimmo said such pressure was common for elite athletes.

“I’d say in pole vaulting it’s mentally challenging because you’ve got several components to get right. Also there is wind, poles break, people get hurt; the injury rate is quite high in pole vaulting. So that’s a lot to think about.”

Speaking generally because she doesn’t know McCartney, Nimmo said youth could be an advantage when athletes ran into problems because they were more likely to be free from expectation.

“But the downside is you don’t have the same experience to call on when something goes wrong. If it’s your first time, having a mental block or being in a slump, it can be really scary because you are not sure if it’s normal or how to best go about getting out of it.”

Nimmo said 24/ 7 news coverage and social media had intensified pressure to succeed.

McCartney reveals how she battled her demons in a Weekend Herald interview. She also speaks of her biggest sporting regret, her secret vices and the “weird feeling” of seeing herself on giant billboards.