The mental health impacts of social media ‘vitriol’ played a part in Sinead Diver’s Olympic marathon breakdown

The ‘vitriol’ of social media has again impacted yet another athlete with marathon runner Sinead Diver subjected to online abuse in the lead-up to her forced withdrawal from the Paris Olympic marathon.

A shattered Sinead Diver has revealed her mental-health struggles and says weeks of social-media “vitriol” was a factor in her stunning breakdown in the Paris marathon.

Breaking her silence amid a firestorm of criticism, Diver hit back at critics, telling of her devastation at being forced to pull out just 1km into the Olympic marathon due to severe spasms in her quads.

Diver’s Parisian disaster was compounded by a turbulent build-up in which Athletics Australia came under fire for snubbing Lisa Weightman, who was overlooked for the final three despite having the third-best time during the qualifying period.

There was no initial backlash towards Diver – she was ranked No. 1 on times – but her exit so early in the race raised questions as to whether the 47-year-old, who was battling plantar fasciitis, should have given up her spot to Weightman.

Lisa Weightman was overlooked for Sinead Diver as one of the three Australian marathon runners in Paris. Picture: Sam Mellish/Getty Images

Former Australian track athlete David Culbert lashed Diver for her performance, but the Ireland-born marathon star believes online trolling took a toll on her physically.

“I’m absolutely devastated to have had to DNF at my second Olympic Games,” Diver wrote in a social-media post.

“I was dealing with a plantar issue in the lead-in to this race.

“It was manageable and I was training, fit and ready to race.

“That had nothing to do with why I pulled out.”

Diver, Australia’s fastest ever female marathoner with a 2:21:34 personal best set in 2022, went on to explain her shock capitulation as she reached for a barricade.

“In the warm up, my quads started to spasm without any warning,” she said.

“I hoped it would resolve as I started running, but it didn’t and they seized up within the first km to the point that I couldn’t bend my knees.

“I don’t fully understand what’s caused this.

“The lead in to this race has been one of the most challenging times of my life.

“The vitriol online has had a significant impact on my mental health and I have no doubt that has played a part in my body breaking down in this way.

“The culmination of stress over the last few weeks has finally taken its toll.”

The composition of the women’s marathon team was one of the hottest topics in the lead-up to Paris with Australia’s selectors coming under fire for omitting four-time Olympian Weightman.

Weightman had the third-best time in the qualifying period, but selectors backed Commonwealth Games champion Jess Stenson, ranked fourth on times, to get the job done.

They were vindicated by Stenson’s fine performance – she was Australia’s best performer and finished 13th overall with 2:26:45 – but there is a view Diver was already battling injury and should have ruled herself out.

Marathon runner Sinead Diver speaks to the media prior to the Olympics. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

On the very day of Diver’s withdrawal in the Paris marathon, Weightman was in superb shape, winning the Sunshine Coast half marathon.

“I’m aware of some of the negative commentary during and since the race,” Diver said.

“But this time I’m not going to listen.

“This is what happened. If you choose not to believe it, then so be it.”

Diver congratulated her Australian marathon cohorts Stenson and Genevieve Gregson, saying: “You have both been amazing teammates and regardless of what’s happened, I have so many fond memories of these games with you both.

“Thank you to everyone else who has shown kindness and empathy and sent messages of support to acknowledge we are all human and sometimes things happen that are out of our control, no matter how hard we try.”

Originally published as The mental health impacts of social media ‘vitriol’ played a part in Sinead Diver’s Olympic marathon breakdown