16th FINA World Sports Medicine Congress

Using Competition Anxiety to Optimise Swimming Performance

Professor Sheldon HantonCardiff School of Sport

Mental Toughness

• Natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to:

– Cope better than opponents

– Under pressure be:

• Consistent• Determined• Focused• Confident• In Control

Mental Toughness Framework

Attitude & Mindset

Training CompetitionPost-

Competition

Mental Toughness Framework

Attitude & Mindset

Training CompetitionPost-

Competition

“Loving” Pressure

Channelling Anxiety

The Demands of Elite Swimming

Organisational

Personal

Performance

From Stress to Anxiety Direction

• Cognitive Anxiety

– Mental nervousness• Worries, concerns etc.

• Somatic Anxiety

– Physical nervousness• Tension, butterflies etc.

Positive or NegativeDirection

Expectation

– Positive support – Negative pressure

Pressure

– Help you – Hurt you

Applied Research & Implications

Skill LevelDirection

Intensity

High Intensity

Low Intensity

PositiveDirection

Negative Direction

Confidence

EliteNonElite

Implications

• Type of stress management intervention

• Confidence protection management

Perceived Control & Goal Setting

High Control

Low Control

Process Goals

Performance Goals

Outcome Goals

Positive Anxiety Interpretations

Negative Anxiety Interpretations

Implication

• Multiple goal setting strategy

Development Research

• Early unwanted negative experiences

• Gradually learning the benefits of anxiety

– Acceptance and requirement– Concentration improvement– External persuasion

• Psychological routines

Intervention Research

• Competitive swimmers - Debilitators

• Intervention

– Pre-Competition Routine• Symptom Recreation and Restructuring

– Pre-Race Routine• Rationalization and Control

DirectionIntensity

High Intensity

Low Intensity

-ve

+ve

RACE 14 weeks

RACE 28 weeks

RACE 312 weeks

RACE 416 weeks

+ 2.3 seconds + 1.4 seconds + 0.8 seconds -0.9 secondsLifetime Best

Confidence

Career Planning

• Wide ranging experiences

• Education on emotions

• Investment in mental skills development

Questions