Staying on Track Under Pressure: Why Athletes Panic at Big Events (and How to Stop It)
Big events have a funny way of exposing cracks.
World Cups. Championships. Selection trials. Olympic qualifiers.
The stage gets bigger. The spotlight gets brighter. And suddenly, athletes who know they can perform… panic.
When pressure hits, the real question isn’t “Can you perform?”
It’s “Can you stay on track?”
Performance Is Built on Tracks, Not Moments
Every skill you learn.
Every routine you repeat.
Every process you refine.
Think of them as railway tracks.
The straighter, stronger, and more consistent those tracks are, the more reliable your performance becomes – especially when pressure arrives.
This is why I often say:
The quality of your preparation dictates the quality of your performance.
When athletes struggle at major events, it’s rarely because they don’t know what to do.
It’s because pressure interferes with their trust in how they do it.
When Pressure Feels Like Snow on the Tracks
Imagine those tracks are suddenly covered in snow.
You know the tracks are still there.
Intellectually, nothing has changed.
But something feels different.
You hesitate.
You become cautious.
You subconsciously take your foot off the accelerator.
This is exactly what happens when emotions cover our process.
Emotional Snow Comes From Two Places:
Internal pressure
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“I didn’t perform last time.”
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“If I mess this up, I won’t be selected.”
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“Maybe I’m just not good enough.”
External pressure
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Selection criteria
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Scores, rankings, qualification standards
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Coaches saying, “You need to fix this.”
None of this is unusual.
In fact, nerves are normal – and healthy.
The danger isn’t feeling pressure.
The danger is letting pressure change your process.
Why Your Eyes Override Your Memory Under Stress
Here’s a critical performance insight:
What you see can override what you know.
When something looks unfamiliar – or emotionally threatening – your brain shifts into survival mode.
That’s when athletes become reactive instead of responsive.
And high performance is never reactive.
Elite athletes don’t ask:
“What’s happening right now?”
They ask:
“What do I trust, no matter what’s happening?”
The Role of Training: Trust Is Earned, Not Wished For
Confidence under pressure doesn’t come from hype.
It comes from familiarity.
Your brain asks one simple question in big moments:
“Have I been here before?”
If the answer is yes – because you’ve trained it, recognised it, and rewarded it – your brain stays calm.
That’s why recognition and reward in training matter so much:
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“I did X.”
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“I got Y outcome.”
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“That worked.”
Do that often enough, and pressure stops feeling like danger.
Mind the Gaps (Because They’re Inevitable)
Walking this old railway track, I had to watch my footing.
There were gaps everywhere.
And that’s another key lesson for performers.
There will always be gaps:
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Conditions won’t be perfect
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Timing won’t feel ideal
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Something won’t work exactly as planned
The question is not:
“How do I eliminate gaps?”
The real question is:
“What is non-negotiable for me?”
What can you rely on:
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In any venue
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In any weather
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In any emotional state
That’s what your training must lock in.
The Power of “But What If?”
Elite performers don’t hope for perfect conditions.
They ask:
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What if it rains?
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What if it’s windy?
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What if the crowd is hostile?
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What if I feel off today?
And then they train the response.
When you’ve already answered the “what if,” pressure loses its grip.
Survivalist vs Strategist: Which One Are You?
Under pressure, athletes tend to fall into one of two survivalist mindsets:
1. Test Before You Trust
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Over-cautious
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Needs proof before acting
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“I can’t perform until everything feels right”
2. Trust Before You Test
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Reckless
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Blind execution
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High risk, low control
Both are driven by fear.
The Strategist Mindset Is Different
A strategist asks:
“What do I need to do to get the outcome I want?”
Not testing.
Not proving.
Assessing.
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Testing looks for proof
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Assessing collects data
Assessment keeps momentum.
Testing kills it.
Strategists assess and enjoy:
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They gather information
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They adjust while moving
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They stay in control
Staying on Track When It Matters Most
The clearer your tracks:
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The more you trust your process
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The harder you can stoke the engine
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The faster you can accelerate under pressure
Big events don’t require new skills.
They demand deeper trust in what you’ve already built.
And when emotions try to cover the track with snow?
You don’t change direction.
You stay on track.
So ask yourself before your next performance:
Am I performing like a survivalist… or a strategist?
Train smart.
Trust your tracks.
And enjoy the ride.
If you'd like to dive deeper into the 'how' for yourself, we have short, intensive trainings available to help you trust your preparation and stay in control.
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