Cath Bishop provides a stirring call for the recent review of Swim England’s toxic culture not to be “just another culture review” in sport (Swim England’s toxic culture must go – it is time for sport to prioritise joy, 14 March). Unfortunately, it most likely will be. The belief that extraordinary achievement requires extreme levels of sacrifice and suffering is deeply ingrained in elite sport. It is, though, in my view and the view of many others whose research is focused on identifying the ingredients for success at the highest levels, a myth.
This myth endures because the world of elite sport suffers from a phenomenon called survivorship bias. This is where we magnify the importance of the characteristics and experiences of those who are successful, without proper attention to those who aren’t.
