Alyssa GoodmanTokyo2020, TokyoGamesComment

Tears of victory, defeat for Tokyo Olympians

Alyssa GoodmanTokyo2020, TokyoGamesComment
Tears of victory, defeat for Tokyo Olympians

An equestrian hugging his horse. A surfer slumped over his board. A judoka raising her fists in jubilation while her opponent, prone on the mat, buries her face in her hands.

The Tokyo Olympics have focused attention on athletes’ mental health as never before, whether it is Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka struggling to live up to the hopes of her home country or American gymnast Simone Biles saying she wasn’t in the right “headspace” to compete. 

Odette Giuffrida, of Italy, left, reacts after defeating Reka Pupp, of Hungary, during a women's 52kg bronze medal judo match at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Odette Giuffrida, of Italy, left, reacts after defeating Reka Pupp, of Hungary, during a women's 52kg bronze medal judo match at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Simone Biles, of the United States, watches gymnasts perform at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts after losing a point to Marketa Vondrousova, of the Czech Republic, during the third round of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Others cried tears of joy, like Katie Ledecky after winning gold in the 1,500-meter freestyle. Or tears of sadness, like Taiwan’s Yang Yung-wei after settling for silver in the men’s 60kg judo competition. And for some who fought through the sweltering temperatures in Tokyo, like the Chilean women’s soccer team after a loss to Japan, there seemed to be no more energy left to cry.

These Associated Press photos capture the athletes' emotions as they celebrate their wins, mourn their losses or just collapse in exhaustion from the effort.