Pan Am Games

Pan Am Games pressure can be too much for some athletes

Kim Dawson, professor of kinesiology and physical education at Wilfrid Laurier University, suggests that both disappointing and outstanding performances result from a competitor’s psychological and physiological reactions to an intimidating atmosphere.

Sports psychologist suggests training needs to simulate the heat of competition

Triathlete Paula Findlay finished a disappointing ninth, struggling with a cold and injuries. (Mark Blinch/Canadian Press)

Chantal van Landeghem is one of several Canadians at this year's Pan Am Games to have thrived under intense pressure.

"I think you guys can expect to see something special," said the Winnipeg swimmer, who will be in the women's 50-metre freestyle looking to win her third medal on Friday.

The 21-year-old told CBC Sports that the pressure propelled her to win gold medals in the women's 100-metre freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay on Tuesday.

"I think the crowd got me into it," Van Landeghem said from the Toronto Pan Am Centre. "I kept saying thank you when I got out of the water because they were amazing."

However, for some members of Team Canada who had podium chances, the stress of competition and unexpected adversity took their toll.

Edmonton triathlete and former world No. 1 Paula Findlay had looked to bounce back from her performance at the 2012 Olympics in London, where she finished in last place due to injury and anemia.

At the Pan Am Games, Findlay improved to a ninth-place finish, but was disappointed to miss the podium. She raced on July 11 battling a bad cold, a misdiagnosed hip injury and knee issues.

The women's triathlon result also means that Findlay didn't pass her first chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

"It's really disappointing. I came here to win, I'm not afraid to say that was my goal," Findlay said after the race.

"It was a pretty rough week leading into it, [I'd] been managing that all week, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to start.… But to 'redeem myself' from London, that's so silly. I do this ultimately for myself.… Next year [at the Olympics] is the biggest race for me. This is not the biggest race of this year, even."

Some train well, others compete well

Kim Dawson, professor of kinesiology and physical education at Wilfrid Laurier University, suggests that both disappointing and outstanding performances result from a competitor's psychological and physiological reactions to an intimidating atmosphere. 

"Some athletes just train and practice extremely well without understanding the distinction between what they have to do to actually prepare for the competitive environment," said Dawson.

"First of all, you have a certain amount of physical skill, and some athletes are very good at demonstrating that potential in a certain training environment — [amid] less stimulus and anxiety. When you compete, it's a totally different environment and we know that in terms of our behaviour."

The difference between the training environment, or lower-key competitions, and a major Games can be an insurmountable hurdle even for some seasoned athletes. But it can be a boost for others.

"Some people really like that circumstance, and they count on that increase in their adrenalin, epinephrine, those neurotransmitters, their focusing ability," said Dawson. "It makes them much sharper, it makes them much more concise, so we can actually see [over-achievement] happen as well."

Dawson suggests training sessions must prepare athletes for the conditions they will face in actual events.

"If you really do want to get increases in performance consistency, then we still have to prepare for what happens in that competitive environment."