'Anyway, I'm the Best in the World'... Priceless Self-Suggestion [Paris Olympics]

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Confident words and writing foster human growth. They provide the strength to consistently strive with a sense of direction. The resulting sense of achievement becomes motivation to pursue greater goals. Self-trust that "I can do it" and self-suggestion that "it has already been achieved" stimulate the instinct.

This is a characteristic seen in many athletes who achieved results at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ban Hyojin (Daegu Physical Education High School), the youngest gold medalist in the history of South Korea's Summer Olympics (16 years, 10 months, 18 days), once stuck a memo with Hello Kitty drawn on the top left corner of her laptop. She wrote in red pen, "I am the best in the world anyway." Even when her results were not immediately satisfactory, she habitually repeated to herself that she could stand at the top of the world.

Shooting is a sport where psychological factors play a greater role than in other events. It requires high concentration in a static posture. The ability to properly recognize and control one’s psychological state directly affects performance. Ban Hyojin was confident that she was the best. Even when facing difficulties, she recalled the words on the memo to regain her composure.

In June, she won the silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle final at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup held in Munich, Germany, narrowly losing to Huang Yuting (China) by 0.1 points. It seemed like a nightmare was repeating itself in this competition. Until the 22nd shot, she was leading Huang Yuting by 1.3 points, but with two shots remaining, her zeroing suddenly wavered. She consecutively scored in the 9-point range (9.9 points, 9.6 points), allowing Huang to catch up.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Ban Hyojin was cornered but did not shrink back. She reflected on the fortune she had checked the day before and quickly regained her peace. "It is a day of achievement. (Omitted) You may receive or hear good news from a place you trust and rely on, and your confidence can be fully replenished." In the shoot-off, where everything is decided by one shot, she calmly scored 10.4 points. She edged out Huang Yuting, who scored 10.3 points, by 0.1 points to secure the gold medal.

Image training for success is very important. It raises confidence in daily life and prepares one for variables that may be encountered in actual competition. The methods vary.

An Seyoung (Samsung Life Insurance), who won the gold medal in women's singles badminton at this competition, repeatedly muttered to herself on the court, "Don't be nervous, be confident." It is a routine refined through professional training. She lowers her heart rate each time she scores to recharge her body and mind. She said this in a past interview.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"I have an introverted temperament, but I try to express myself a lot inside the stadium. I try not to be intimidated. I speak confidently because I think it will weaken the opponent’s spirit. I often talk to myself, saying things like 'Don’t be nervous,' 'Be confident,' 'You can do it, you,' and other encouraging words."

Her self-talk is all objectified. Instead of "I," she refers to herself as "you," seeing herself as she is. She distances herself from the problem at hand and rationally regains composure. American psychologist Dan Ariely explained, "When giving advice to others, better ideas come out than when giving advice to oneself."

Shin Yubin (Korean Air), a table tennis player, also found a breakthrough with a similar method. In this competition, in women’s singles and mixed doubles, she repeatedly muttered, "You can do it, right? Of course, I can do it!" Thanks to this magical chant, she achieved valuable results: reaching the semifinals and winning a bronze medal, respectively. Her performance improved remarkably compared to the 2020 Tokyo Games, raising expectations for the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Games.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Born in 2004, Shin Yubin is the youngest member of the table tennis national team. However, as the ace, she suffered from severe stress before this competition due to excessive attention. Crushed by the burden, she was unable to improve her performance until early this year. Judging that change was necessary, she sought new methods with her parents, coaches, and mental coaches.

The solution she found was self-talk. She practiced murmuring phrases like "Let’s score with a smash, okay?" and "Good, I’ll aim for the right corner," building confidence in herself. It was no different during matches. When she consecutively lost points, she kept talking to herself to dispel anxiety and regain confidence.

There are athletes who have received relatively less training like this. Yang Ji-in (Korea National Sport University), who won the gold medal in the women's 25m pistol shooting, is a representative example. She was born with boldness as an athlete. She has a personality that does not overthink even when problems arise. It is said she had no special routine or clear dreams and goals. Her life motto is "It will work out somehow; the future me will take care of it."

A relaxed personality greatly helps shooting skills. In fact, Yang Ji-in’s shooting movements are simple and concise. There is relatively little shaking when holding the gun. Because of her stable scores, the shooting community had highly anticipated her gold medal chances even before this competition.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Yang Ji-in seemed to fully enjoy such attention. Her father, Yang Jaesung, said the following: "Before going to Paris, she told me to answer the phone if someone unknown called. She showed confidence, saying that reporters would call after winning a medal."