Olympic mind Games: 10 ways athletes try to gain a psychological edge

‘One way to gain an edge is to give the impression you find the contest easy.’ Illustration: Robin Hursthouse

Olympic athletes employ a number of strategies in their attempts to gain a psychological advantage over the other competitors. Some of these may be ­deliberate, but in many cases they will be employing tactics they don’t fully understand. Here are 10 mind games to look out for.

1 Routines and superstitions