And how many times have we heard about people's inner circle, taking advantage of an athlete or celebrities success? We don't know what is going on in her personal life that might be weighing on her. Everyone assumes that winning a Gold medal, and all the fame and sponsorships is such a great thing, but we've heard plenty of stories about the dark side of all that "success." Just last night Michael Phelps was talking about how messed up he felt after the London games when he thought it was all over. He had tied his identity to swimming so much, he didn't know how to be when it was gone. Post athletic career depression should not be underestimated, and it doesn't have to start after the competition is finished. It's rare enough for American gymnasts to survive 2 Olympic cycles, let alone 3, so this period likely represents a big transition for Gabby. What does she do now? Courtney Kupets mentioned on the live stream that training is a full time job, 6 days a week 36 hours at least. And when someone makes a big transition you never know which people will still be there. Her fellow gymnasts and coaches may really be like family, but they have their own paths so how much will they still be there, aside from social media, and catching up from time to time, not people you see daily or monthly in camp. So take that away, and what does her life look like? None of us know if she is leaving Rio to go home to "happily ever after." And then there is the pressures of competition. Aly and Simone look live they have a great support system, and Laurie and Madison seem young enough where this is just an amazing step on the road, and then they go home to school or training or something.
I watched the live stream, and there were definitely moments where when they were finishing routines Gabby was smiling, and seemed genuinely happy for her teammates. More as the day's events progressed. They know her, they'll know when she needs space, and what is normal for her. The rest of them don't seem bothered by Gabby, so I'm not going to let it bother me either.