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It's an intriguing piece of analysis when commentators say different sports people are 'mentally tough' especially in light of Ronda Rousey's recent meltdown about her fragility straight after her loss to Holly Holm in Melbourne.
It got me thinking about some truly memorable sporting performances over the ages where the sportsmen or sportswomen really just 'willed' their way to victory under either stress or trying circumstances.
Here are some of my standout performances:
Brian Teacher was a better than decent tennis player who achieved a top ten world ranking but really wasn't regarded as a top notch player. Teacher won the Australian Open in 1980 albeit we had a lot of trouble attracting quality players to the Open in those days. Just prior to Australian Open Teacher, and after a heartbreaking loss in Sydney, he called home to his wife and said "I just lost and I had match point" where she promptly responded that she wanted a divorce. Stressed out about the breakdown Teacher contacted Australian Open tournament organiser Colin Stubbs and said he would have to withdraw from the Open however, an hour or so before he was to board a flight home he got a call from his father in law advising him not to come home for various reason. After deciding to stay, Teacher contacted Stubbs and wanted back in but was told his position had been filled. Fortunately someone else pulled out a bit later and Teacher was back in and eventually won the Open defeating talented Australian Kim Warwick in straight sets.
I read that he just channeled all his thoughts and energy into the Australian open trying to block out the turmoil of a marriage breakdown.
Other standout performances from my perspective include:
A Mark Edmonson performance in a Davis Cup tie in Mexico City in 1982. He hated the food, the altitude, the court surface, the partisan crowd and thought the match umpire wasn't giving them a fair shake but won both his singles matches to give Australia a 3 - 2 win.
A Dean Jones double hundred in Madras where he was lifted out of ice buckets baths during lunch and tea breaks to return to the crease and went to hospital and put on a saline drip straight after he lost his wicket. He batted on memory and was violently ill throughout the innings losing litre's of fluid.
In 1996 Kieran Perkins fought off bad form, quality swimmers and a swimming lane few win from to triumph in the 1,500 meter Freestyle final.
I'd love to hear of sporting results where the term 'mentally tough' couple be accurately applied.
It got me thinking about some truly memorable sporting performances over the ages where the sportsmen or sportswomen really just 'willed' their way to victory under either stress or trying circumstances.
Here are some of my standout performances:
Brian Teacher was a better than decent tennis player who achieved a top ten world ranking but really wasn't regarded as a top notch player. Teacher won the Australian Open in 1980 albeit we had a lot of trouble attracting quality players to the Open in those days. Just prior to Australian Open Teacher, and after a heartbreaking loss in Sydney, he called home to his wife and said "I just lost and I had match point" where she promptly responded that she wanted a divorce. Stressed out about the breakdown Teacher contacted Australian Open tournament organiser Colin Stubbs and said he would have to withdraw from the Open however, an hour or so before he was to board a flight home he got a call from his father in law advising him not to come home for various reason. After deciding to stay, Teacher contacted Stubbs and wanted back in but was told his position had been filled. Fortunately someone else pulled out a bit later and Teacher was back in and eventually won the Open defeating talented Australian Kim Warwick in straight sets.
I read that he just channeled all his thoughts and energy into the Australian open trying to block out the turmoil of a marriage breakdown.
Other standout performances from my perspective include:
A Mark Edmonson performance in a Davis Cup tie in Mexico City in 1982. He hated the food, the altitude, the court surface, the partisan crowd and thought the match umpire wasn't giving them a fair shake but won both his singles matches to give Australia a 3 - 2 win.
A Dean Jones double hundred in Madras where he was lifted out of ice buckets baths during lunch and tea breaks to return to the crease and went to hospital and put on a saline drip straight after he lost his wicket. He batted on memory and was violently ill throughout the innings losing litre's of fluid.
In 1996 Kieran Perkins fought off bad form, quality swimmers and a swimming lane few win from to triumph in the 1,500 meter Freestyle final.
I'd love to hear of sporting results where the term 'mentally tough' couple be accurately applied.
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