In a revealing interview ahead of the 2024 Olympics, judo legend Teddy Riner emphasized the critical importance of mental preparation for elite athletes. The French heavyweight, who has since secured another gold medal, shared insights into his psychological approach to competition.
Riner, known for his unprecedented success in judo, highlighted that mental strength is equally crucial as physical and technical skills. He disclosed that he has been working with a psychologist since the age of 14, underscoring the long-term commitment to mental health in his career.
“If today I excel in all aspects, it’s because I’ve done what’s necessary and surrounded myself with the right people,” Riner explained. He emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to training, including physical preparation, nutrition, technical expertise, and mental conditioning.
The judoka also addressed the stigma often associated with seeking psychological help in sports. He advocates for normalizing mental health support, suggesting that terms like “mental coach” might be more readily accepted than “psychologist” in the sporting world.
It’s especially interesting to hear Riner speak so highly of psychological preparation from a BJJ perspective considering esteemed BJJ coach John Danaher pretty much equated sports psychology with scams.
John Danaher stirred controversy by expressing his belief that sports psychology is a “scam industry.” During an appearance on Lex Fridman podcast, Danaher argued that true confidence stems from actual success in practice, not from motivational talk. He criticized the idea of instilling confidence through words alone, stating that when faced with real challenges, such confidence quickly dissipates.
“I’m going to say something controversial here… People are gonna hate it. I think it [sports psychology] is a total scam industry.”
“I know people are going to crucify me for saying this, but I believe sports psychology…
In so, as you just, you know: “I’m gonna just talk this guy into confidence.”
“Whenever you use words as the basis of your confidence, when you get up on the stage and you get punched in the face or picked up and slammed on your head…”
“All that confidence is going to run right out of your a**hole.”
Riner’s approach to mental preparation includes setting clear goals, maintaining focus, and managing pressure. He stressed the importance of staying true to oneself and not being swayed by external influences that could derail an athlete’s path to success.
