Higher, Faster, Stronger, and then what?

After working in elite Chinese Olympic weightlifting for over 7 years and witnessing the great retirement wave of 2025, which was the 15th National Games. I can’t help but think of Andy’s quote from the office, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you have actually left them” and not just think about how short many athletes’ careers at the top are but what a privilege it is to be able to help athletes and be with them during this short phase of their life.

For coaches, managers, doctors, and all support staff, their careers could extend for many more years. Potentially sharing in more peak performance moments with other athletes who go on to achieve greatness, but the athlete's moment is often short. Which is the nature of all peak performance: no one stays on top forever, and to be trusted enough by athletes at their peak to be part of their team is a privilege that is easy to take for granted. Especially within the Chinese sporting system, which, in many disciplines, has deep talent pools and moves quickly to identify the next great athlete when one begins to falter.

The trap, I think, people can easily fall into when working with great athletes is that they, too, then start to think of themselves as being great at their profession purely by association rather than by action or evidence. Support staff for athletes can easily get caught up in their own roles and stories and forget they are all there for the athlete. To help guide and support them through this period of their career, where it is the beginning, the pinnacle or the end of it.

During the Tokyo Olympic cycle, the training hall was literally full of Olympic and world champions who regularly lifted record numbers. Thus, the extraordinary simply becomes ordinary. Then, when athletes enter their decline from such heights, they may still do extraordinary feats, but there is a feeling to it all, knowing they could have done so much more so long ago. Furthermore, working with younger athletes trying to rise to greatness really hit home how short the time is for them to make it, and how dedicated, committed, and focused the support staff around them needs to be to give them the best chance to achieve greatness.

As support staff, we may get another chance to improve our role, learn more, bring a better attitude to a session, or help an athlete or other team member in a way that benefits everyone. But for the athlete, this training cycle, this competition, and the performance you bring on any given day could be what makes all the difference. Elite sport is always high-stakes, but it is at its highest for the athletes who put their careers and bodies on the line, and it is an ecosystem where we all depend on each other for the system to function. It can be incredibly rewarding, with intense personal and professional moments at the highs and lows. People won’t be able to bring 100% every day, and that’s why a high-functioning team is so important for everyone. When you can only bring 70%, we need someone else to help give the athlete the other 30%.

Seeing the rise and fall of so many athletes in Weightlifting and other Chinese National Sports, while being part of the work and system that supports them, has been a privilege. It can take incredible work and sacrifice from both athletes and support staff, but it also goes by fast, so don't forget to take the time to appreciate it and be thankful.