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Way of Champions Podcast

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

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.
01:10:02

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Mehdi Kordi's coaching success stems from his unique background in sports science, demonstrating that effective coaching doesn't require competitive experience.
  • A holistic approach to recovery in athletes should include mental and emotional rejuvenation, which can greatly enhance performance under pressure.

Deep dives

Mehdi Cordy's Unique Coaching Journey

Mehdi Cordy, despite never competing in cycling, has achieved remarkable success as a coach, guiding athletes to numerous Olympic and world championships. His background in sports science, which includes a Ph.D. focused on optimizing training and performance, laid the foundation for his coaching philosophy. Starting with British Cycling and later coaching the Dutch cycling team, he led them to unprecedented achievements, including six world records and multiple gold medals at the Olympics. Cordy's journey underscores that formal competition is not a prerequisite for effective coaching; instead, passion and science can drive success.

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