Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone admits in her new book to throwing her Rio 2016 semi-final on purpose

Bad Wigins wrote:

Well What Do You Know wrote:

She was a minor and her coach and father forced her to compete in the 2016 Trials against her will.

It's not a good look for you to hate a minor.

How exactly does a parent force a teenager to compete in an elite track meet?

The athlete in question is not a minor now, and you know what you can do with your smug unregistered self. What a loser.

high school xc coach wrote:

I understand that anxiety can be crippling for some, and should be dealt with on a case by case basis. Almost everybody has SOME anxiety for racing, but it is a healthy amount for most. Most people will become more resilient for facing their fears and tackling an obstacle.

I wonder if she said it turned out to be beneficial to go through the trials and prelims at least. It could have been what she needed to help her succeed through those rounds the next time through. Some people just need to get through something once before they can be their best self in it the next time.