As much a test of nerve as strength and skill, the men’s individual all-round final was compelling viewing this morning, not for the perfection of performance, rather the battle of competition. With the six top qualifiers all lumped together in the same group, it became an intense psychological battle. Mistakes were made for two reasons. One is that these gymnasts have to consecutively compete in every discipline, from the floor to the rings, the horse to the vault, parallel bars to horizontal bars. It’s therefore almost impossible for them to master any one discipline. The second is that they are constantly looking over their shoulders (sometimes literally), wondering what they have to do to push up the table in search of a medal. Risks are taken with often dramatic consequences.

It was at times as interesting to watch the gymnasts resting in between events as it was actually performing. Trying to gage their emotions and predicting their confidence made their subsequent performances more engaging to watch.

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Because the gymnasts can see all of the equipment in the arena, imagery is made easy. Imagery is often used as a preparatory method to boost self-confidence. It can work negatively if an athlete imagines poor performance, but most successful athletes always think positively.

The coaches are constantly by the gymnasts’ sides as they sit and wait for their next event. It is vital for the gymnasts to know that their coaches believe in them. Although coaching often involves correcting mistakes and giving constructive criticism, during the competition it’s important they give positive feedback and praise where appropriate in order to create a positive environment.

The coaches obviously did a good job with Kohei Uchimura who early on slipped from the pommel horse twice, recording the worst score (ranked 24th). His following performances showed incredible maturity and resilience as he worked his way back into contention, coming first on the floor, before a brilliant final performance on the horizontal bar won the Japanese youngster a silver medal.

Confidence certainly increases the likelihood of successful performance and there are numerous factors that affect confidence; it‘s a fragile thing! One factor that is often cited is home advantage, and in this case that was certainly true.

Wei Yang, who finished second in Sydney then seventh in Athens, performed with incredible composure and consistency in front of his delighted home crowd to win gold. On the other hand German Fabian Hambeuchen, who won silver last year at the World Championship in Stuttgart, lacked his usual flamboyancy, finishing a disappointing seventh.

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