With so much attention on the Olympic games and athletes, there’s also a lot of criticism. From Simone Biles’ withdrawal from the Tokyo Summer Olympics, to American-born athletes competing for China, a new spotlight on mental health is shining on this year’s winter Olympics.

“Physically, I feel good, I’m in shape,” Biles told TODAY. “Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn’t an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time and we’ll see.”

Retired Olympic icon, Michael Phelps even shared his struggle with depression as an athlete.

“I think it took five Olympics for me to really see it,” Phelps told TODAY. “I think me being in the mental state that I was going into 2016 allowed me that opportunity to be open to have the interactions that I had with the other athletes and that led me to believe that there are others that are struggling and struggling very, very hard.”

Naomi Osaka, a Japanese professional tennis player and Olympic athlete, withdrew from the French Open after expressing her struggles with depression and anxiety. By withdrawing from the competition, Biles has set an example for all athletes, showing them that mental health does matter.

Even with the widespread talk of the importance of mental health, Olympic athletes competing for countries they weren’t born in are being put under immense pressure. Not only do they have to compete under the microscope of the press, but they have to prove themselves to the country they compete for. If they fail, people don’t think twice about hate-bombing the athletes.

Eileen Gu, an Chinese American freestyle skier, has won two gold medals for Women’s Big Air and Women’s Halfpipe. Due to her successes in the competition, she has been accepted as a star in the country. Meanwhile, Zhu Yi, a 19-year-old Chinese American athlete competing for China’s figure skating team was bombarded with hate after falling twice during the free skate event.

On Russia’s figure skating team, Kamila Velieva is just 15-years-old and competing in the Olympics. Though she won a gold medal during the figure skating team event, she finished fourth in the free-skate competition. When she returned to the edge of the rink, her coach began to reprimand her.

“Why did you let it go? Eteri Tutberidze demanded [in Russian],” wrote Monica Hesse “Why did you stop fighting? Explain it to me, why?”

Valieva also tested positive for three substances used to help the heart; Hypoxen, L-carnitine, and trimetazidine.

These recent events have forced the public to think about the pressure countries put on their athletes. The Olympics are a huge competition, but a gold medal isn’t worth ruining someone’s life and mental health. Hopefully these stories will teach us to support, not denounce, our hard-working, astonishing athletes.

Photo courtesy of COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG