Plus, the troubled 1920 Antwerp Olympics and the parallels they have for Tokyo. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.
Rishabh Pant of India in action during day three of the fourth test match between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane in January 2021.
EPA-EFE/DARREN ENGLAND
To overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, sportspeople need to enter a certain state of mind.
Novak Djokovic was one of the lucky ones, sitting out quarantine in Adelaide and with greater freedom to train than tennis players isolating in Melbourne.
Morgan Sette/AAP Image
Nobody likes a whinger. But when you’re used to having an entourage, and being feted around the world, things can get tough when you don’t get your own way.
Our research with athletes suggests there may be two zones: an effortless ‘flow state’ and a more purposeful ‘clutch state’. Here’s how to decide which zone you need to be in — and how to get there.
Marcus Rashford scores the second goal of his hat-trick against RB Leipzig.
EPA-EFE/Peter Powell
Jo Batey, University of Winchester and Keith Parry, University of Winchester
Why elite athletes may struggle more during self-isolation.
The NFL has been thrust into conversations around criminal justice since Colin Kaepernick and others chose to kneel in protest against police violence, but also in the case of former player Aaron Hernandez.
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
Running has become a way for people to show how productive they are, using their achievements to build personal brands and to compete with others for status.
Cori Gauff smashes through first two rounds at Wimbledon.
Andy Rain/EPA.
A young athlete’s support network is key to their development and performance, according to sports psychologists.
Chris Froome (in the black jacket) of cycling team Ineos recently had a horrific crash while attempting to blow his nose while riding.
Peter Powell / AAP
Conspiracy theories help sports fans make sense of unexpected events – like when a whole rugby team becomes sick before a world cup final, or the retirement of Michael Jordan from basketball.
New research suggests that a football team’s rendition of its national anthem says a lot about its level of togetherness.
Australian cross country skier Phil Bellingham takes a selfie during a welcoming ceremony at the Pyeongchang Olympic Village ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018.
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
What harm could a simple Tweet possibly have on the performance of an Olympian? More than you might think. Social media can be a distraction that impacts the performance of some athletes.
Olympic gold medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada are artists on ice, but behind their performance is years of training to be mentally tough during competition.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
For any athlete to deliver a gold medal performance, mental toughness is an essential ingredient. But what exactly is mental toughness — and how does an athlete develop it?