You only get six chances to make a lift at an Oly meet. Bob Takano details how coaches and athletes can prepare to get optimal results on the platform.
An athlete’s first weightlifting meet is often a hugely memorable event with emotions ranging from ecstatic euphoria all the way to sheer terror. In most cases this first meet will go a long way toward establishing the nature of the athlete’s competitive character, and so it would be of great benefit for both the athlete and the coach to take some time for advance preparation to make sure as many controllable factors go as smoothly as possible.
A weightlifting meet is psychologically unlike the vast majority of athletic events—even the other individual sports competitions. A weightlifter stands alone and is the sole focus of everyone’s attention.
Fortunately, it is like all other performance experiences in that the chemical state of the performer is altered. Those with experience at handling this adrenalized state can transfer this expertise or aplomb to the competition platform. Others can learn to handle their adrenaline through other performance experiences.