Molly Huddle was positioned to take a bronze medal in the Track and Field World Championship for 10,000 meters. Although she certainly knew better, in the emotion of the moment she began to celebrate a bit early, slowing her stride before the finish line and raising her arms. That's when her teammate, Emily Infeld, edged her out for a medal (by only 0.09 seconds). Anyone with even a modest empathy quotient who watches this clip will feel the athlete's anguish. It also provides a highly illustrative body language teaching moment.
Molly Huddle's central forehead is contracted and elevated (Elevated CFC). Concurrently her inner (medial) eyebrows are also raised. Still in state of shock-surprise, her upper eyelids are also very elevated (1:06).
Whenever there physical pain of any significance is present - or as we see here, the initial manifestations of emotional pain, there is also an elevated central forehead contraction.
A very important nonverbal corollary in these moments of emotional or physical pain - is that there must also be a simultaneous mouth expression of sadness.
At the very end of this video (1:11) we see a re-emergence of the CFC which had briefly diminished with the covering of Huddle's entire face.
Facial covering (almost always occurring suddenly) such as we see here is not an attempt to prevent others from seeing one's sadness - rather it's a sign of emotional processing. The emotional brain is still trying to wrap around the ramifications of the recent events - that which the intellectual brain already knows.
This image (from earlier in the video at 0:25) captures a blending of at least 3 emotional expressions displayed on Molly Huddle's face (far right on photo):
1. Fear
2. Surprise (Shock)
3. Sadness (Grief)
Can you discern and separate the different components of these 3 emotions?
Notice also Ms. Huddle's shoulders are rounded and vectored forward - indicative of shock-sadness.
See also:
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3290: Miley Cyrus Undercover, I Witness News & Body Language
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3289: Jorge Ramos, Donald Trump Event, "Get Out of My Country" and De-Escalation
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2483: Alex Rodriguez's Subtle Sadness Signal Body Language, PEDs and A-Rod
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3173: Maryland State Attorney Marilyn Mosby - Freddie Gray's Death Ruled Homicide - charges to be pressed against police
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