Inside the Mind of Weightlifters: The Mental Preparation of Greek-Cypriot Olympic-Weightlifting Athletes

Abstract

This study examines, through in-depth interviews, the mental preparation of seven Cypriot non-elite Olympicstyle weightlifters. Mental preparation is important in sport, as it can help athletes reach peak performance. Examining specific sport requirements is important for the better understanding of mental preparation, thus this study focused on identifying the processes that are important for Olympic-style weightlifting. The inductive analysis of the data showed 15 mental processes, which are separated into two general dimensions, namely: Mental Techniques and Mental Skills. Some important processes that arose concern the need for Distance and the distinction between Intrinsic Self-confidence and Extrinsic Self-confidence. Examining the identified processes offers important knowledge for the better application of mental skills training.

Keywords

• mental preparation, athletes, sport, olympic weightlifting, mental processes