The Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics have shed light on the pervasive issue of online bullying faced by athletes, with high-profile cases drawing attention to the mental health struggles they endure. Notable mentions include figure skater Amber Glenn, who publicly identifies as pansexual, and fellow competitors like gold medalist Alysa Liu, all of whom have experienced a barrage of hateful messages throughout the event. The emotional toll of such harassment has been echoed by athletes like Ilia Malinin, who spoke about his inability to cope with the continuous negativity despite being a favorite to win, emphasizing the distressing environment created by social media.

In response to these alarming reports, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) revealed that they requested the removal of 1,919 inappropriate posts during the Games. The committee has set up response teams in Italy and Japan to monitor social media activity around the clock, reflecting the unprecedented volume of hateful messages. This situation has led to increased concerns about the safety and well-being of athletes, prompting calls for a more robust strategy to combat such harassment in the future.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also expressed its commitment to addressing these issues by deploying both artificial intelligence and human oversight to detect harmful content. Despite these efforts, the challenge remains daunting, as IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who has experienced bullying herself, noted that we currently live in a world where it is too easy to attack others online. Moving forward, the IOC aims to prioritize mental health support for affected athletes and implement educational measures to protect them from online abuse, stressing the need for cultural change in how athletes are perceived and treated in digital spaces.