The British pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw has said that winning an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo harmed her physically and mentally – and questioned whether the pursuit of glory has been worth it.
In a powerful and frank interview with Athletics Weekly, Bradshaw lifted the lid on the “detrimental” side of elite sport, saying she had gone from being a “happy-go-lucky” teenager to someone who didn’t go out, drink, or eat bad food but still had to “starve” herself to get into shape to compete.
