You may not remember this….During the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, a very small mental error cost shooter Matt Emmons the Olympic gold medal.
He lost this once-in-a-lifetime award because the stress winning a gold medal caused him to miss a critical step in his routine – a mental breakdown – before he executed his final shot.
With a commanding lead going into the final shot, Emmons forgot to check the number on the target he was supposed to shoot! Not only was this an embarrassing mistake, but one that carried a costly consequence - the loss of the Olympic gold medal!
After the tournament, Emmons said that he was so focused on staying calm during his last shot that he cross-fired or shot at the wrong target–a mental game error that cost him the gold medal.
No one knows for sure what caused Emmons mental error, but perhaps it was caused by the pressure of the moment and he just forgot a simple step in his routine. Only Emmons knows the real story, which lead to this avoidable tragedy in his athletic career. This story highlights just how important it is to have your head in the game before you start competition.
In addition, as an expert with nearly two decades helping athletes improve their mental game, I have the skills and experience to teach you how to avoid mistakes and other mental obstacles so you maximize your athletic performance. In my e-book, Get Psyched for Sports I share with you many...Read More Detail