The challenge of consulting with track and field athletes at the Olympic Games

Abstract

The authors of this article served as sport psychology consultants for the 2000 USA Olympic track and field team that competed in Sydney, Australia. In this capacity they provided sport psychology services for the staff (coaches and managers) and athletes of the team not only during the Olympics but throughout the quadrennium (1997–2000) that preceded the Games. This article provides both an overview and the practical applications of various aspects of the service delivery framework that was utilized during this period, including research foundations; coping with physical bankruptcy, illness, and injury; drug testing; staff stress and strain; and mental skills training/interventions for elite track and field athletes. The article is presented in a case report format that illustrates the application of sport psychology strategies, techniques, and services to a variety of performance issues and circumstances that emerged during the track and field competition of the 2000 Olympic Games