The development and maintenance of expert athletic performance: Perceptions of world and olympic champions

This study examined the factors that contributed to the development and maintenance of expert athletic performance. Four men and six women having won at least two gold medals at separate Olympics and/or World Championships were interviewed using an in-depth, open-ended, and semi-structured approach (Patton, 1987). The qualitative data were analyzed both inductively and deductively. Results revealed that the athletes progressed through four stages throughout their career: the Sampling, Specializing, Investment, and Maintenance Years. Common findings were that at an elite level, contextual factors included parents, coaches, teammates/friends, support staff, other athletes, and school/education. Personal characteristics pertained to self-confidence, motivation, creativity, and perseverance. Training involved technical, tactical, physical, and mental components and was influenced by quantity, quality, intensity, and recovery. Competition factors concerned meticulous planning, evaluations, dealing with pressure, expectations, and adversity, and focusing on the process rather than the outcome of events. Implications to increase the quality of experience of athletes are discussed.