The present article outlines the development and implementation of a multifaceted psychological skills training program for the Canadian National Short Track Speedskating team over a 3-year period leading up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. A program approach was used emphasizing a seven-phase model in an effort to enhance sport performance (Thomas, 1990) in which psychological skills training was integrated with biofeedback training to optimize self-regulation for performance on demand and under pressure. The biofeedback training protocols were adapted from general guidelines described by Wilson, Peper, and Moss (2006) who built on the work of DeMichelis (2007) and the “Mind Room” program approach for enhancing athletic performance. The goal of the program was to prepare the athletes for their best performance under the pressure of the Olympic Games. While causation cannot be implied due to the lack of a control group, the team demonstrated success on both team and individual levels.
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Marla K. Beauchamp, Richard H. Harvey, and Pierre H. Beauchamp
with Olympic and highly competitive athletes know that the pressures of elite sport and the substantial rewards that follow success provide a high level of motivation to adopt any safe and legal strategy that might promise even the smallest performance gain. Dietary supplements operate in this space
Craig Pickering and John Kiely
former 400-m runner. He competed at 1 Olympic Game, winning a medal in the 4 × 400-m relay. His personal best time is 44.94 seconds, and he was a high-level athlete for approximately 11 years. Participant B (Greg Rutherford) is a former long jumper. He has competed at 3 Olympic Games, winning a gold and
Rachel Arnold, David Fletcher, and Jennifer A. Hobson
in determining NSO’s [national sporting organizations] success in Olympic competition” ( Fletcher & Wagstaff, 2009 , p. 433; see also Arnold, Fletcher, & Anderson, 2015 ; Arnold, Fletcher, & Molyneux, 2012 ; Fletcher & Arnold, 2011 , 2015 ). Leadership and Management Conceptualization A recurring
Tiago Turnes, Rogério S.O. Cruz, Fabrizio Caputo, and Rafael A. De Aguiar
The 2000-m performance is the criterion measure of Olympic rowing usually lasting 5.5 to 8 minutes depending on the boat type and many external factors such as wind, water, current, and temperature. 1 , 2 These aspects bring to this task a number of limitations in scientific terms, which have led
Tom Willmott and Dave Collins
This study offered a first examination of skill development within freeskiing and snowboarding, using semistructured interviews to examine trick progression. Participants were purposefully recruited as performing at world top 8 level in 2014, the most recent Winter Olympic Games. A semi structured interview protocol, using a personalized progress chart, enabled the examination of trick progression across disciplines, with at least one participant from each of the events represented at the Games. Trick progression was achieved intermittently, moving through different stages during the year subject to experiencing the right conditions, training facilities, balancing time for progression with time for consolidation, competition periods and rehabilitating from injuries. There was high variance in the duration of trick progression between individuals and also high variance in the number of repetitions required to land a trick in competition. Imagery was a mental skill widely used and universally supported by our sample. Athletes and coaches should take directionality into consideration when planning their progression, ensuring all four directions are included and that prerequisite manoeuvres are included in an athlete’s training repertoire at the right stage to facilitate the learning of more complex manoeuvres at a later stage of development. Our data found a 60–40 balance between time-spent training on and off-snow, further research is required to determine the best combination of traditional strength and conditioning versus movement conditioning approaches, both from an injury prevention and a performance enhancement perspective.
Brian Zuleger and Rick McGuire
Competing at the Olympics is reported to be different from competing in any other performance setting and presents many challenges to the athlete and coach ( Greenleaf et al., 2001 ; Haberl & Peterson, 2006 ; McCann, 2008 ; McGuire & Balague, 1993 ; Portenga et al., 2012 ; Vernacchia
Amanda Palladino, Minkyo Lee, and Xiaochen Zhou
( Apostolopoulou et al., 2010 ). Since its inception in 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, Olympic mascots have been a key part of the Games. During the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, nearly 650,000 people visited Olympic retail stores located in the venues to purchase merchandises (e.g., clothing, equipment
Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Natasha Bruno, Krystn Orr, Roxy O’Rourke, Virginia Wright, Rebecca Renwick, Kirsten Bobbie, and James Noronha
programs should be equipped to support the participation of youth, especially those with IDD who experience greater obstacles and exhibit lower levels of sport participation compared to youth without IDD ( Shields & Synnot, 2016 ). Special Olympics offers community-based health and wellness opportunities
Jinsu Byun, Mathew Dowling, and Becca Leopkey
Hosting the Olympics presents increasing challenges; thus, creating positive, sustainable legacies has become a key area of consideration ( Scheu et al., 2019 ). The Olympic Movement presents the concept of legacy as a way to benefit from hosting ( Leopkey & Parent, 2012 ). Since multiple
