Le'Veon Bell Quotes

Realizing full well that fine condition and confidence will not in themselves make a champion, it is my belief, however, that they are essential factors.

You want to hit full strides going into the first game and maintain it.

I always feel like the freshest boxer going into competitions.

I have never been ready 100% even when I was racing in my gold times.

Everyone works so hard on their game and on their body. Most of the time, it comes down to who is more relaxed mentally; on the court while playing and off the court.

It's in that moment - when millions of fans are holding their breath as the football hurtles towards me at 80 mph, and all I have is within 0.42 seconds to react - that I need to feel mentally and physically prepared.

As long as I have that support from my team, and I have that confidence in myself that I train really hard, I think there's no one out there who can defeat me in my weight class.

I think in the lifetime of a tennis player there are many times where you feel that tremendous confidence.

The mind is absolutely instrumental in achieving results, even for athletes. Sports psychology is a very small part, but it's extremely important when you're winning and losing races by hundredths and even thousandths of a second.

I was proper, proper fast at one point, and obviously I'm not now, so I've lost certain things, but when I was that fast I didn't need to do certain other things in a game. It was such a potent weapon.

There's an inner feeling you get when you get in a situation to do well in a game. It's hard to explain.

I always save a few special outfits for the final rounds of a tournament, because they put me in a more positive mindset and I then make better decisions.

You can wish as hard as you like but all that really matters is the shape you're in on the day of the race. I've always felt these really big races aren't necessarily won by whoever is the fastest. They're won by the athlete who is the smartest and in the best shape on the day.

During my first Olympics in 1980, at the age of 23, I was physically in great condition but mentally too inexperienced to cope comfortably in the pressure cooker of an Olympic year.

Tennis is mostly mental. Of course, you must have a lot of physical skill, but you can't play tennis well and not be a good thinker. You win or lose the match before you even go out there.

I think the game is so mental. If you sit around and you're mentally strong, you're ready.

I know if I want to have a chance to beat the top players, I need to be mentally ready for that.

Nobody can walk on a track and beat me unless they have an extraordinary day and I have a bad day, which I keep from happening.

At times, you are mentally but not physically prepared; at times, you are physically but not mentally prepared. I would be lying if I said it doesn't affect your performance. But the sooner you get over it, the better. So you discipline yourself. That is why fitness counts.

When I set my eyes on the gold at the world championships, I was able to maintain that focus that whole day. That's what I aim to do in Rio - my focus is gold, so I can keep in that good state; I can't get too complacent. I can't relax; I can't be content. I need to be 100 per cent switched on.

Concentration and focus - they are very important, just as important as in anything, I suppose, if you're going to succeed. I've seen a lot of good players on the training ground, but when it comes to the game, they can't keep the same levels up on a Saturday.

I'm not just a footballer; I'm a top athlete, and we have to be at the top of our game.

The NBA is 95% mental and 5% physical, so it's more in my favor now with me being older.

When I've trained as hard as I possibly can through training camp and I come to the end, where my body is worn out and I'm tired, I know I'm ready to peak.

One of the biggest things I've worked on is how to play my best tennis every single time I walk on to the court.