Michael Phelps’ ‘The Weight of Gold’ Mental Health Doc Heads to HBO

One of the greatest athletes of all time is uncovering the hidden emotional cost of elite sports in a new HBO Sports documentary. HBO announced today that they’ve acquired The Weight of Gold, a new documentary from Olympic athlete Michael Phelps about the mental health crisis in sports.

The Weight of Gold explores the unseen challenges that elite athletes face. Although they’re admired as some of the strongest and most successful competitors in the world, the film aims to show that athletes still face the same mental health struggles as any other person.

Phelps, who is an executive producer and narrates the project, will share his own mental health journey, opening up to viewers about his struggle. The Weight of Gold will also feature accounts from high-profile Olympic athletes including Jeremy Bloom, Lolo Jones, Gracie Gold, Bode Miller, Shaun White, Sasha Cohen, David Boudia, Katie Uhlaender, and the late Steven Holcomb and Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, whose story will be shared by his mother, Linda Peterson.

“I believe I have experienced a state of depression after every Olympics I competed in,” Phelps said in a press release today. “For a long time, I only saw myself as a swimmer, not a person. When I walked off the podium in Rio, I knew many of my teammates and competitors were not aware of, or prepared for — the post-Olympic transition.

“In sharing our stories, it is my hope that we can encourage others to open up, let them know they are not alone and that it’s ok to not be ok. For me, the opportunity to help break the stigma surrounding mental health and potentially save a life is way more meaningful than any Olympic medal.”

Phelps’ documentary will show the journey Olympians take from young athletes to elite competitors, and will reveal the cost that comes with their success. Phelps last competed in the Olympics in 2016, when he came out of retirement for the Summer Games. Since then, he’s been dedicating his post-Olympics career to mental health advocacy and awareness.

The Weight of Gold premieres July 29 at 9/8c on HBO, and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The film’s broadcast premiere is scheduled for the same time the 2020 Summer Games were planned to take place in Tokyo, Japan, before they were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.