High performance requires deep thoughts that lead to the acceptance of one’s anxiety and any emotional state the athlete may be in.
Here are some examples of great Italian champions:
Giovanni Pellielo (shooting, 4 Olympic medals, 4 world golds)
The last series of selection was the heaviest; I scored zero on the penultimate target in the first platform, and I finished with twenty-three. It was the series where I suffered the most because I had to achieve the result in difficult conditions and with a very high emotional load, as I was the man who had already won two Olympic medals. Let’s say that on that occasion, all the ghosts came to mind; it was difficult to close that result, but I did it. Then I thought about the final, referring to the baggage of four years of experience, and I relived everything I had done in the last year in terms of preparation, especially psychologically, so as to face the final as I wanted and desired.
Valentina Vezzali (6 Olympic golds)
I have great respect for the opponent to the point of trembling like a leaf before the start of each competition. When there are ten minutes left until the match, it feels like going back to the high school graduation exam. I feel the same anguish.
Jannik Sinner (tennis, 1st Italian to win a Grand Slam tournament in 48 years)
Under pressure? Nothing compared to that of a surgeon or a head of the family who has to put dinner on the table. Maintaining a family or not knowing if a rocket is going to hit your house, that’s pressure. Playing tennis is a privilege, something to feel honored about.
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