Volleyball Australia issued a public apology on Thursday for creating an "environment of fear" that saw some players self-harm and others turn to substance abuse, with the impacts still felt decades later. The sport's governing body acknowledged that former athletes with the Australian indoor women's team, some as young as 14, were subjected to punitive training methods and body-shaming.

Years after the Tokyo Olympics, marked US gymnast Simone Biles’ shocking exit, the issue of athletes' mental health is increasingly on the table and institutions are trying to make up for lost time, Agence France-Presse reported.

Of course the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award - which went last night to American gymnast Simone Biles - is about longevity of performance.

"Listen to your body" has long been a mantra for elite athletes skirting the edges of performance and injury. In recent days and months, however, numerous top sportsmen and women have begun to act with greater conviction upon a new formulation of that old favourite. Namely, "Listen to your mind."