Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais Day 6 - The Calm Before the Gold: Mental Preparation for the Gymnastics All-Around Final | The Game Inside The Games
Jul 31, 2024
Olympian gold medalist Nastia Liukin shares her thrilling journey through one of gymnastics' toughest moments, the Women's All-Around Final, while joined by high-performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais. They dive into the intense mental preparations that set champions apart, discussing strategies like visualization and self-talk. Nastia vividly recounts her experience, from warm-ups to competition, revealing the intricate dance of nerves and calm that defines a gymnast's mindset when the stakes are at their highest.
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Warm-Up Focus Routine
- Nastia Liukin explains the intense warm-up session before competition starts where gymnasts do all four events in a group.
- She describes focusing on her routine visualization rather than watching competitors to stay dialed in mentally.
Confidence from Body of Work
- Confidence in competition comes fundamentally from the athlete's body of prior work and training.
- What you say to yourself during competition reinforces and activates that confidence in real time.
Suni Lee's Mental Bounce Back
- Suni Lee fell flat on her face during the 30-second warm up but bounced back mentally to perform her best routine.
- This illustrated exceptional mental strength greater than just having a clean warm-up touch.