Attentional focus strategies of triathletes during the Ironman World Championships

Attentional focus in endurance sports is subdivided into an internal and an external focus. The aim of this study was to assess attentional focus in the three disciplines of an Ironman triathlon and relate them to performance. Attentional focus strategies of athletes competing in the Hawaiian Ironman were assessed by a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to measure attentional focus separately for the three disciplines swimming, cycling and running. Findings revealed differences of attentional focus in the three disciplines. While both foci (external and internal) were used comparably during the swim and bike the focus became more internal during the run. There was no relationship between attentional focus and performance. This study shows that the use of attentional focus in an Ironman triathlon should be seen discipline specific. In general, attention during an Ironman race is not entirely focused to one direction but internal as well as external aspects are important during the whole competition.
An Ironnian triathlon is composed of a 3.8k swim, a 180k bike ride and a 42.2k marathon run, all in one event without any rest in between. The world's best [...]