Psychological dimension in the formation process of the Spanish Olympic wrestler

Abstract

The aim of this study was to know how psychological work has been carried out in sports training process of Spanish Olympic wrestlers. From a qualitative perspective, the instrument used was a semiestructured interview, which was applied to 21 Olympic wrestlers. The results show that athletes attach great importance to psychological factors in their discipline, and that they are essential at the high competition stage to achieve excellence. They consider motivation and self-confidence as the most significant psychological variables in sports performance, and predictors of wrestling success. Also necessary aspects such as a capacity for self-sacrifice, constancy, discipline and perseverance are valued. They estimate that psychological aspects have not been properly trained, and only in recent times has the figure of the sports psychologist been incorporated into their training.