The past few years have been “hell” for Jonathan Hilbert. After the Olympic silver of 2021, Geher suffered from depression and had thoughts of suicide. The return to the large athletics stage, at the World Cup in Tokyo, was emotional and felt like a victory for Leipziger.
Gone from 35 kilometers in the hot-moist Tokyo and with tears in his eyes Jonathan Hilbert stood in the belly of the Olympic Stadium and reported on the deep valley that he had to go through. “The past three years have been shaped by many difficult and dark phases. Of days when I didn’t want to live anymore,” said the 30-year-old. “To be here again to be in the place where I got the silver medal around my neck is incredibly great, magical.”
Martin Roschitz, Sportschau, 13.09.2025 4:30 a.m.
The 16th place in 2:36:47 hours was almost irrelevant for Hilbert. In general, here at the World Athletics Championships, “was not a matter of course for me, that was anything but easy. I am simply happy to have presented myself in such a stable state today.”
I can just say to anyone who has to deal with depression: it is worth fighting, it is worth walking through these deep valleys. If I do it, others can do it too. Life is worth it.
Four years ago, the Leipziger in Tokyo had won over 50 kilometers sensational Olympic silver and dedicated his success to girlfriend Anna, who had been a great emotional support with handwritten letters.
“Completely the will to live, the vitality lost”
But after the greatest success of his career, the creeping, mental crash followed. His parade discipline from the Olympic program was also deleted. The Thuringian native did not cope with the new route over the 35 kilometers. “At the end of the day you think: I am not a good athlete, I’m not a good person, I am actually inferior, I may have been a one-hit wonder,” said Hilbert.
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“Just stared at the ceiling”
In phases, he “completely lost the will to live”. It was very difficult in October 2023 and in “2024 in January it really climbed”. There were days when he hardly got on the couch. When his girlfriend, who works as a teacher, came from school in the early afternoon, sometimes he was only on the couch, hadn’t even eaten something and “just stared on the ceiling”.
It was extremely crucial that I admitted that I needed professional help.
He went into psychotherapeutic treatment. “It was extremely crucial that I admitted that I needed professional help.” In addition to the therapy, he turned his life upset, moved to his girlfriend to Leipzig and changed the coach.
LA 2028 as a sporting goal
All of this swung with Hilbert’s emotional and urgent sports show interview in the Tokyo nation Stadium, four years after the games. “A circle closes here and I can make peace and look positively into the future,” said Hilbert, whose sporting goal is the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“I can just say to anyone who has to fight with depression: it is worth fighting, it is worth staying, it is worth going through these deep valleys. If I can do it, it is also worth it.
Wedding with girlfriend Anna in three weeks
He was grateful how much parents, girlfriend, sponsor, the police as employers, would have supported so many people. The new trainer also encouraged him. “Without all these people, I wouldn’t have done it,” said Hilbert, who is wearing a bracelet with the name of his girlfriend Anna, who is now his fiance. The two marry in three weeks. Then there will certainly be tears again – the joie de vivre.