Sport Psychology: The Mentality Olympians Have for High Performance

Its summer 2024, the Paris Olympics have kicked off and it’s the place to see the very best in the world perform to the highest level. Every athlete wants that elusive Olympic medal. There are several things we’re all looking forward to at an Olympic Games. Great performances, powerful stories and important lessons that we can take home with us.

As a sport psychology professional, I help athletes manage their minds for high performance. I help implement strategies to give athletes control over their situation through psychology. This leads to training better, feeling better and ultimately performing better.

It’s known that all athletes think, it is the main tool that get them to where they want to be. The very best know how to think about their sport to create the best conditions for success. The main stage at the Olympics will test everyone physically and mentally. The Olympians will use different strategies for managing their minds, which I’m looking forward to spotting at the Games. If you’re an athlete watching, there will be some great lessons for you to take home to level up your performance. Performing at the highest level is possible with the right conditions, over the next few weeks we will see how athletes create that.

Here are the 5 things that the top Olympians will be managing in their performances.

Confidence

In short, confidence is feeling free from worry and being ready to perform. These athletes will have spent a long time preparing to have confidence on the main stage, and for good reason. Confidence leads inner calm, feeling strong, having full concentration and feeling in control over the body and the mind. Sounds like a winning recipe to me.

Motivation

It’s the need to achieve, wanting to win. The Olympics is a big event, the occasion will lead to strong drive. But this will have been practiced and managed over a very long time for them to get to the Games. High motivation leads to the best commitment and preparation for their sport. Motivated athletes are willing to push their limits to achieve the best.

Concentration

The ability to have full attention to the task at hand. Olympians will have to manage their focus in different ways to get the most out of themselves. The best will know how to focus on the right things surrounding them and within themselves. They can focus deeply on specific things and then switch to have a wide focus on a lot of information when they need it. They control distractions from getting in the way. High performing athletes make their attention work for them.

Communication

The ability to share information with yourself and the people around you. It is hard to get to the very top, no one ever does it alone. The best have worked out how to have their support circles help them succeed. Great communicators are excellent at sharing tactics, getting help from top coaches, supporting teammates and managing their own thoughts through sharing them. Top performers know how to use their voice to help themselves as best they can. Communication is important for success.

Mental Control

To manage your own emotions and thoughts. Everyone will experience thoughts and emotions that aren’t helpful in different scenarios. That’s very much expected, we are human after all. Top athletes know how to manage them when they arrive and transform them work for the athlete. Mental control is a tough skill, but necessary. It will help Olympians in crunch time to keep calm and collected. Mental control can make all the difference in height of the moment.

These are some of the things that you’ll see from many athletes at Paris 2024. I want to find different examples throughout the games. I can take these examples to create lessons for you to take forward in your sport. I’ll end with a quote to get the fire burning.

“You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get” 

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time.

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