An In-depth Study of Former Elite Figure Skaters: III. Sources of Stress

TLDR

The study investigated the sources of stress among elite figure skaters. Twenty‑six former national‑champion figure skaters were interviewed with open‑ended questions, and inductive content analysis identified stress categories. Five major stressors were identified—competition‑related issues, negative relationships, skating demands, personal struggles, and traumatic events—and the data showed that elite athletes experience both competition and non‑competition stress, with individual differences and similarities to youth athletes.

Abstract

This study examined the sources of stress in elite figure skaters. Twenty-six former national-championship competitors were interviewed to identify their stressors during the most competitive phase of their athletic careers. The interviews consisted of open-ended and follow-up questions that provided an in-depth understanding of the athletes' sources of stress. Inductive content-analysis procedures established stress categories derived from the athletes' perspective. Five major sources of stress emerged from the data—negative aspects of competition, negative significant-other relationships, demands or costs of skating, personal straggles, and traumatic experiences. The results demonstrate that (a) elite athletes experience stress from both competition and noncompetition sources, (b) individual differences exist among elite athletes' sources of stress, and (c) elite and youth sport athletes have similar competition-related stressors.