0:00:13.502,0:00:15.018
When we look at Olympic sport,

0:00:15.018,0:00:16.514
sport at the highest level,

0:00:16.514,0:00:19.500
there are clearly some athletes [br]who always seem to get it right.

0:00:19.500,0:00:21.251
For example, Usain Bolt:

0:00:21.251,0:00:24.501
Olympic 100m, 200m champion, twice over,

0:00:24.501,0:00:27.765
in the 2008 Beijing Olympics [br]and in the London Olympics.

0:00:27.765,0:00:31.748
Michael Phelps:[br]the most bemedaled Olympian of all time.

0:00:31.748,0:00:33.758
These are athletes [br]who clearly get it right,

0:00:33.758,0:00:37.537
both psychologically [br]and physiologically all of the time.

0:00:38.741,0:00:42.780
It is also interesting to note that [br]they have contrasting approaches.

0:00:42.780,0:00:45.750
Usain Bolt, with all his comedy antics,

0:00:45.750,0:00:48.275
prior to his event, [br]when he is on the start line.

0:00:48.275,0:00:50.534
We've all seen this.[br](Laughter)

0:00:51.493,0:00:54.770
Michael Phelps, [br]however, a much different approach.

0:00:54.770,0:00:57.766
He sits down,[br]he is listening to music,

0:00:57.766,0:01:01.250
he has much more [br]cerebral, contemplative approach

0:01:01.250,0:01:02.784
towards his event.

0:01:02.784,0:01:05.090
But it's both very effective.

0:01:06.251,0:01:10.788
Sport psychology may play a part[br]in their preparation for their events,

0:01:10.788,0:01:13.773
and maybe a reason [br]why they're successful.

0:01:14.499,0:01:16.490
What happens when things go wrong?

0:01:16.490,0:01:18.272
Here's another example.

0:01:18.272,0:01:22.275
In the 2012 Olympics in London[br]in the soccer final,

0:01:22.275,0:01:25.271
there were two finalists, [br]Brazil and Mexico.

0:01:25.271,0:01:27.494
Brazil were the undoubted favorites.

0:01:27.494,0:01:29.237
They were expected to win.

0:01:29.237,0:01:31.262
They were the reigning Olympic champions.

0:01:31.262,0:01:32.784
They were extremely skilled,

0:01:32.784,0:01:34.766
on paper, they were the best team.

0:01:34.766,0:01:37.245
Mexico had made it to the final[br]playing well,

0:01:37.245,0:01:39.304
but they were unfancied.

0:01:39.754,0:01:44.073
In the final,[br]Mexico went at Brazil

0:01:44.073,0:01:47.092
in an incredible display[br]of attacking football.

0:01:47.092,0:01:49.053
It was incredibly impressive to watch.

0:01:49.053,0:01:51.040
And if you watched [br]the Brazilian players,

0:01:51.040,0:01:52.236
their heads dropped.

0:01:52.236,0:01:54.272
They seemed slightly defeated.

0:01:54.272,0:01:55.492
They could not understand

0:01:55.492,0:01:57.752
why they were not performing [br]quite as well as they were.

0:01:57.752,0:01:59.501
Perhaps they were complacent.

0:01:59.501,0:02:03.250
Perhaps they'd expected too much.

0:02:03.250,0:02:05.249
Perhaps they were overconfident.

0:02:05.249,0:02:07.062
The Mexicans had nothing to lose,

0:02:07.062,0:02:08.516
they attacked with fervor

0:02:08.516,0:02:10.510
and they won the Olympic title,

0:02:10.510,0:02:13.754
they were the Olympic champions[br]over the fancy favorites.

0:02:14.244,0:02:18.755
Perhaps sport psychology [br]can explain why fancied champions

0:02:18.755,0:02:20.764
may be over-confident

0:02:20.764,0:02:23.751
and may fail[br]when they're expected to win,

0:02:23.751,0:02:26.283
and perhaps why underdogs[br]take on the best

0:02:26.283,0:02:29.495
and win[br]despite all the odds.

0:02:30.225,0:02:31.768
Take another example.

0:02:31.768,0:02:33.239
James Magnussen:

0:02:33.239,0:02:35.760
a man with seemingly [br]unshakable self-confidence.

0:02:35.760,0:02:40.500
He said he was going to win [br]the 100m-sprint final in the pool

0:02:40.500,0:02:42.760
at the London Olympics.

0:02:42.760,0:02:44.742
He was extremely confident.

0:02:44.742,0:02:45.750
But in that race,

0:02:45.750,0:02:49.248
he was out-touched[br]in the line by Nathan Adrian,

0:02:49.738,0:02:51.766
by 1/100 of a second.

0:02:51.766,0:02:53.263
And that was devastating for him,

0:02:53.263,0:02:56.506
you could see his body language after,[br]he was destroyed.

0:02:56.506,0:02:58.763
Perhaps he was over-confident.

0:02:58.763,0:03:01.880
Perhaps though, [br]his obvious confidence

0:03:01.880,0:03:05.751
in the events leading up [br]to the actual final.

0:03:05.751,0:03:10.757
Perhaps his confidence belied[br]an undelying self low confidence.

0:03:10.757,0:03:13.545
Perhaps he was not [br]very confident inside

0:03:13.545,0:03:17.053
when he should have been[br]supremely confident of his abilities

0:03:17.053,0:03:20.503
because he was[br]the world leader in the event.

0:03:20.503,0:03:23.261
So perhaps psychology [br]may have played a part,

0:03:23.261,0:03:25.529
but in particular, [br]it may help

0:03:25.529,0:03:29.527
when overcoming such a devastating defeat[br]for the next event.

0:03:30.237,0:03:33.258
Another very good example:[br]Roy McAvoy.

0:03:33.258,0:03:37.252
In the 2011 Augusta masters, [br]he was expected to win,

0:03:37.252,0:03:39.272
he was amongst the favorites certainly,

0:03:39.272,0:03:41.042
and he's an extremely talented golfer.

0:03:41.042,0:03:45.524
In fact, he is the one player[br]that all the people on the tour,

0:03:45.524,0:03:47.749
all the golfers on the tour,[br]the PGA tour,

0:03:47.749,0:03:49.281
fear the most.

0:03:49.761,0:03:50.756
And yet on the day,

0:03:50.756,0:03:53.757
when he was leading,[br]on the final day of the event

0:03:53.757,0:03:55.499
he was leading by four shots.

0:03:55.499,0:03:57.751
He'd played superbly[br]on the previous three days.

0:03:57.751,0:04:01.533
He experienced [br]a catastrophic drop in his performance.

0:04:01.533,0:04:03.259
He shot a round of 80,

0:04:03.259,0:04:05.745
and this is something [br]that professional golfers

0:04:05.745,0:04:09.248
can do in their sleep,[br]certainly very easily,

0:04:09.498,0:04:13.501
because they frequently shoot[br]rounds of 70 or below

0:04:13.501,0:04:15.257
and that's a good shot.

0:04:15.257,0:04:17.773
So 80 was a catastrophic failure,

0:04:17.773,0:04:20.329
and he ended up tying for fifteenth place.

0:04:21.515,0:04:23.760
So you'd think that [br]that sort of devastating performance

0:04:23.760,0:04:26.495
may have impacted on his mind.

0:04:26.495,0:04:30.512
However, only eight weeks later,[br]he won the U.S open,

0:04:30.512,0:04:33.516
and there was no sign [br]of the lack of confidence

0:04:33.516,0:04:35.760
and the fact that the pressure [br]had got to him,

0:04:35.760,0:04:38.769
that was displayed [br]when he was in Augusta.

0:04:38.769,0:04:40.752
So it seemed that[br]he picked up the pieces.

0:04:40.752,0:04:43.280
And what is it that made him do so?

0:04:43.280,0:04:45.523
Sport psychology [br]may indeed have the answers.

0:04:46.215,0:04:48.503
So, elite athletes, coaches,

0:04:48.503,0:04:50.261
and the people who surround athletes,

0:04:50.261,0:04:52.741
know very well the importance [br]of sport psychology,

0:04:52.741,0:04:54.519
and they're beginning to embrace it.

0:04:54.519,0:04:56.750
Sport psychologists are often included

0:04:56.750,0:04:59.271
in the teams [br]that surround athletes nowadays.

0:05:00.251,0:05:01.754
What is sport psychology?

0:05:01.754,0:05:06.510
Well, it is the science, [br]study and practice

0:05:06.510,0:05:08.769
of mental preparation for sport.

0:05:09.738,0:05:12.513
It involves identifying [br]the techniques and strategies

0:05:12.513,0:05:14.508
that athletes can take and use,

0:05:14.508,0:05:17.493
so they perform on their most optimum.

0:05:17.493,0:05:20.998
It also helps athletes deal [br]with come back, with setbacks

0:05:20.998,0:05:24.240
and help them to come back[br]from devastating defeats.

0:05:24.240,0:05:28.244
Such as those by James Magnussen[br]or Roy McAvoy.

0:05:28.244,0:05:31.779
So we just begin to unpack[br]some of these strategies

0:05:31.779,0:05:34.494
that sport psychologists talk about.

0:05:34.494,0:05:36.499
So looking inside of the mind of a winner,

0:05:36.499,0:05:39.509
what factors are linked[br]to success in sport?

0:05:39.509,0:05:42.246
Well, clearly an athlete[br]has to be motivated.

0:05:42.769,0:05:48.489
Often goals that athletes set, [br]describe or...

0:05:48.489,0:05:50.495
will demonstrate [br]how much effort

0:05:50.495,0:05:53.781
and how much will they have to win[br]in their event.

0:05:53.781,0:05:56.748
But sometimes motivation[br]is not enough.

0:05:56.748,0:05:58.503
An athlete has to be confident,

0:05:58.503,0:06:03.223
and confidence seems to be ubiquitous[br]amongst high-performing performers.

0:06:03.223,0:06:05.753
There's a number of strategies[br]that athletes can use

0:06:05.753,0:06:07.763
to boost their confidence.

0:06:07.763,0:06:11.485
Another important factor[br]is knowledge of the sport.

0:06:11.485,0:06:13.750
So basically, [br]knowing your sport inside out,

0:06:13.750,0:06:15.265
but also knowing the opposition.

0:06:15.265,0:06:17.781
What are their strengths and weaknesses?

0:06:17.781,0:06:21.503
One of the phrases coined[br]by Clive Woodward,

0:06:21.503,0:06:24.253
who was the England coach

0:06:24.253,0:06:28.753
at the time they won [br]the Rugby World Cup in 2003.

0:06:28.753,0:06:30.725
One of the phrases he coined, was,

0:06:30.725,0:06:35.496
"Total rugby, leaving no stone unturned[br]when it comes to performance."

0:06:35.496,0:06:38.078
He was very famous for developing [br]dossiers on the opposition.

0:06:40.660,0:06:43.244
Knowing their strengths, [br]knowing their weaknesses

0:06:43.244,0:06:46.522
and where he could attack them[br]and how he could tactically win them.

0:06:46.522,0:06:49.510
And that's clearly important [br]in sports these days.

0:06:49.510,0:06:52.015
So, using psychology [br]to understand the opposition

0:06:52.015,0:06:53.520
as well as yourself.

0:06:53.520,0:06:55.756
Athletes are also [br]very good at using routines,

0:06:55.756,0:06:57.981
getting themselves [br]in the right frame of mind.

0:06:57.981,0:07:00.251
We'll look at that [br]in a few moments time.

0:07:00.251,0:07:02.515
Athletes are also good [br]at handling pressure.

0:07:02.515,0:07:04.522
If you look at Usain Bolt[br]or Michael Phelps,

0:07:04.522,0:07:06.239
they are cases in point.

0:07:06.239,0:07:09.256
And anxiety management [br]is clearly an important aspect

0:07:09.256,0:07:12.283
of an athlete's arsenal of strategies

0:07:12.283,0:07:14.760
to get them [br]in the right frame of mind

0:07:14.760,0:07:16.762
so that they can perform at their best.

0:07:18.240,0:07:21.254
So let's look at some [br]of these strategies in detail.

0:07:21.254,0:07:25.532
Motivation is clearly very important,[br]and how do you get athlete motivated?

0:07:25.532,0:07:28.775
The most important things[br]are the goals that they set.

0:07:28.775,0:07:31.494
The goals that they set [br]will determine how much drive,

0:07:31.494,0:07:32.753
how much effort,

0:07:32.753,0:07:35.502
how much will they have to perform well.

0:07:35.502,0:07:37.752
But often a goal of winning[br]is not enough.

0:07:37.752,0:07:39.753
Sometimes, oh, most times,

0:07:39.753,0:07:43.250
it is important that an athlete [br]has a number of sub-goals

0:07:43.250,0:07:45.262
which are related [br]to their performance.

0:07:45.262,0:07:47.254
So things like personal bests,

0:07:47.254,0:07:51.486
that drive them [br]both in training and in competition.

0:07:51.486,0:07:54.508
It's important that these goals[br]conform to certain features.

0:07:54.508,0:07:57.776
And scientists,[br]psychologists and practitioners

0:07:57.776,0:08:00.504
always refer to this SMART- acronym.

0:08:00.504,0:08:03.262
And that's because, [br]having goals that are realistic,

0:08:03.262,0:08:06.497
relevant, specific,[br]measurable and so forth,

0:08:06.497,0:08:10.264
are really important when it comes[br]to getting an athlete motivated.

0:08:10.759,0:08:14.281
As I said earlier, [br]motivation is not enough.

0:08:14.742,0:08:16.528
It is important [br]that an athlete is confident,

0:08:16.528,0:08:18.034
and there are number of ways

0:08:18.034,0:08:20.234
you can boost[br]an athlete's self-confidence.

0:08:20.234,0:08:21.264
Experience.

0:08:21.264,0:08:23.242
Reminding an athlete[br]of their experience

0:08:23.242,0:08:24.530
is extremely important.

0:08:24.530,0:08:26.775
Modeling.[br]I don't mean catwalk-modeling here,

0:08:26.775,0:08:28.764
modeling is also an important aspect,

0:08:28.764,0:08:32.232
because that enables an athlete[br]to have a model

0:08:32.232,0:08:36.036
or blueprint if you like [br]of the optimum performance.

0:08:36.036,0:08:39.770
Imagery and self-talk are parts of that[br]and we'll get on to those in a moment.

0:08:39.770,0:08:41.727
Feedback is clearly important as well.

0:08:41.727,0:08:44.761
Positive feedback[br]from the athlete's coaches.

0:08:44.761,0:08:46.761
Imagery is a mental rehearsal

0:08:46.761,0:08:50.011
and it is a strategy [br]that many athletes use.

0:08:50.011,0:08:52.492
And here are the kinds of things[br]that an athlete

0:08:52.492,0:08:55.754
or a coach will go through,[br]when they're rehearsing their performance.

0:08:55.754,0:08:58.506
It is almost like [br]a video of their performance.

0:08:58.747,0:09:00.261
They will also use prompts,

0:09:00.261,0:09:03.495
but they also visualize [br]any contingency that arise.

0:09:03.495,0:09:06.749
For example, any barriers [br]or problems or difficulties

0:09:06.749,0:09:10.249
that arise during the course[br]of their competition.

0:09:10.503,0:09:13.758
Here's an example[br]of these kinds of strategies in action.

0:09:13.758,0:09:15.258
This is Blanka Vlašić:

0:09:15.258,0:09:18.046
she was a former world champion,[br]high jumper,

0:09:18.046,0:09:20.487
and YWF athlete of the year.

0:09:20.487,0:09:24.238
And she was very famous for going through [br]the same performance routine

0:09:24.238,0:09:25.739
prior to a competition.

0:09:25.739,0:09:29.762
She would close her eyes,[br]visualize a successful jump.

0:09:29.762,0:09:32.286
She would clap her hands rhythmically,

0:09:32.286,0:09:34.760
and use the audience[br]to get the audience on board

0:09:34.760,0:09:38.244
and that would both boost her motivation[br]and her confidence,

0:09:38.244,0:09:42.279
and then she would practice some moves [br]shortly before executing her jump.

0:09:43.756,0:09:46.513
Self-talk is another strategy[br]that athletes use.

0:09:46.513,0:09:48.267
It's an extremely important strategy

0:09:48.267,0:09:50.998
because it enables athletes[br]to go through in their mind

0:09:50.998,0:09:54.252
and use mantras [br]to try to boost their motivation,

0:09:54.252,0:09:57.770
but also to try to manage [br]the competition and the situation.

0:09:57.770,0:09:59.232
For example,

0:09:59.232,0:10:02.744
the situation where the pressure[br]is on and they are highly anxious.

0:10:02.744,0:10:05.508
So, self-talk might have[br]motivational components,

0:10:05.508,0:10:08.276
but it also might help athletes[br]focus on important things

0:10:08.276,0:10:09.794
that are relevant to performance,

0:10:09.794,0:10:12.786
so-called cues,[br]and also might have a calming effect.

0:10:12.786,0:10:16.278
Things like breathe and relax.

0:10:17.248,0:10:21.262
Anxiety management is an important aspect [br]of sport performance.

0:10:21.262,0:10:22.757
Clearly at the Olympic Game

0:10:22.757,0:10:25.782
the World Championships [br]at the highest level,

0:10:25.782,0:10:27.759
athletes are going to be under pressure

0:10:27.759,0:10:29.974
and they need to be able [br]to cope with that pressure.

0:10:29.974,0:10:31.759
Sometimes being too anxious

0:10:31.759,0:10:34.254
can actually undermine[br]an athlete performance.

0:10:34.254,0:10:36.251
It can be sub-optimal.

0:10:36.251,0:10:39.513
So relaxation techniques [br]are extremely important in this regard,

0:10:39.513,0:10:43.035
and psychologists will work with athletes [br]to try and help them to relax.

0:10:43.035,0:10:45.106
So it might involve[br]things like breathing,

0:10:45.106,0:10:47.255
stretching,[br]relaxing the muscles,

0:10:47.255,0:10:50.256
they'll also use things[br]like music and meditation.

0:10:50.256,0:10:51.793
Michael Phelps is a good example,

0:10:51.793,0:10:55.508
he listens to music right up [br]to the few minutes before is an event,

0:10:55.508,0:10:58.258
and that music will get him [br]to the right frame of mind

0:10:58.258,0:10:59.258
for that event.

0:10:59.258,0:11:02.271
It will help him to relax [br]but it will also motivate him.

0:11:03.737,0:11:06.735
Here's a good example [br]of somebody using those techniques

0:11:06.735,0:11:08.738
to the greatest extent.

0:11:08.738,0:11:11.078
This is Yelena Isinbayeva:

0:11:11.078,0:11:14.000
double Olympic champion [br]at the pole vault,

0:11:14.000,0:11:16.260
and also the world record holder.

0:11:16.260,0:11:19.527
This is her in the 2012 Olympics, [br]she's clearly very relaxed,

0:11:19.527,0:11:23.492
she lies back, [br]she covers herself in a close,

0:11:23.492,0:11:26.758
this has the effect [br]of shutting out any distractions

0:11:26.758,0:11:30.742
but also it has the effect of relaxing her [br]and relieving the pressure.

0:11:31.514,0:11:35.509
So in term of the mind of a winner[br]from a sport psychology perspective,

0:11:35.509,0:11:38.509
an athlete has to be motivated,[br]confident in their abilities,

0:11:38.509,0:11:40.276
manage pressure extremely well,

0:11:40.276,0:11:42.739
and use these well [br]trained-drilled techniques

0:11:42.739,0:11:45.817
like imagery,[br]self-talk and relaxation.

0:11:46.491,0:11:47.540
Thank you.

0:11:47.540,0:11:48.763
(Applause)