Maybe you have heard the saying that when I work hard enough, I can stand in front of you. Everyone needs a certain spiritual sustenance in the process of growing up. When we were young, we may have known some stars through TV dramas. Maybe because of his role, or the positive energy he brought you, you gradually regarded him as an idol. Olympic athletes are also human beings. They live in this society like us. No one is born to be envied. Maybe all stars have their favorite idols, so I think the idolization behavior of Olympic athletes is worth understanding.
I don't think true idolization cares about his private life every day or praises him on a certain platform. The real idolization is to make yourself better and meet him. The real meaning of idolization is to thrive in decadent life, gain experience from failure and add a touch of bright color to plain life. On the road of idolization, make yourself a better self. At this Olympic Games, many successful Olympic athletes, such as Yang Qian, the first Olympic gold medal winner, successfully reversed the idolization through their own efforts.
In real life, there are many successful examples of idolization. Maybe the success of a star inspires you to move on, but you still have to work hard on your own anyway. Maybe one day, you can be closer to your idol.