Olympian Emotion

Original Air Date: Thursday, August 09, 2012

The Olympic Games are full of highs and lows and no one feels it as acutely as the athletes themselves. With dreams being made and broken in front of the lense, how well do we prepare our athletes for more than the physical aspects of the games?

Do we expect athletes to always maintain a level of sportsmanship when representing Canada on the world stage? With the emotion involved in international competition, is that always reasonable?

How well do we prepare our Olympians for the mental pressures of the games and is it realistic to expect them to face the lense, immediately after a stunning victory, or a devastating defeat?

Joining us for this discussion is Jamie Sale, Olympic Gold Medalist in Pairs Figure Skating at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games; John Dunn, Professor of Physical Education and Recreation working in the area of Sport Psychology at the University of Alberta; and Frank van den Berg, Director of Mental Performance with the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary.