#408 Marginal Gains are Dead with Mehdi Kordi, Olympic and World Champion Cycling Coach

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Dec 20, 2024

Mehdi Kordi, an Olympic and World Champion cycling coach with a PhD in training optimization, shares insights from his unique journey into coaching elite athletes. He argues that marginal gains are often overrated and emphasizes the importance of focusing on significant factors that drive performance. The conversation delves into building trust in coaching, the emotional dynamics of athlete relationships, and the critical role of recovery in sports. Kordi also discusses transforming training for female cyclists and fostering positive team dynamics, all while encouraging joy in sports.

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ANECDOTE

Unconventional Path to Coaching

Mehdi Kordi never raced bikes competitively, viewing cycling as transport.
Despite this, he coaches Olympic-level cyclists, highlighting his passion for performance.

INSIGHT

Marginal Gains vs. Major Gains

Marginal gains require substantial budgets, which many teams lack.
Kordi advocates for "major gains," prioritizing areas with the highest return on investment.

ADVICE

Less But Better

Focus on the most impactful areas.
Prioritize the "skin suit" elements that offer substantial gains, not minor tweaks.

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Mehdi Kordi has led the Dutch track riders to nine different Olympic medals including six Gold and 16 World Championships titles over 8 different athletes all on a fraction of the budget of their rivals. Interestingly Mehdi has never ridden a competitive bicycle race at any level or discipline. Prior to coaching the Dutch, Mehdi had a convoluted career where he only got into sporting world in his mid-twenties by doing a PhD which examined the training sciences to help optimise the performance of track riders in the Great Britain cycling team. Subsequently, he went on to become their sport scientist and coach of the Para-cycling team which lead him going on to the Dutch. On the podcast today John and Mehdi discuss how the concept of marginal gains is not applicable in the vast majority of sporting environments, how to focus on the big things that matter most, and more.

Connect with Mehdi:

www.mehdikordi.com Insta: @mehdikordi11 X: @MehdiKordi LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mehdi-kordi-79114155

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