Brazilian combat athletes face the postponement of the 2020 Olympics

Resumen

The objective of the study is to analyze the perceptions of Brazilian Olympic combat sports athletes (MEC) about
the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. Semi-structured
interviews were conducted with four Brazilian Olympic athletes. The research followed social constructionism, with
an emphasis on discursive practices, recording the way in which the interviewees produce meanings. Two thematic
categories emerge from the interviews that make the analysis possible: a) the logic of hegemonic masculinities
and; b) impacts on mental health. The findings of this research suggest that despite having achieved a good
performance in the Olympic Games, the isolation produced in the Brazilian MEC athletes a strong impact on their state
of mind and expectations, associated with the difficulties caused by the lack of minimum structure available in
Brazil. All those interviewed recognize the importance of psychology services for overcoming the difficulties
experienced by athletes in the face of the pandemic.