A US track legend advises British athletes: don't be overawed by the daily reminders, be inspired by them
As the winner of two gold medals at Atlanta 1996, the retired US sprinter Michael Johnson understands what is required to succeed at a home Games better than most. And with six months to go before London 2012, he believes that even Britain's most experienced Olympic athletes may be feeling the pressure in a way that they have never previously experienced.
"When you're preparing for a Games and you're living in a country where the Games is taking place, there's really a daily reminder of the opportunity that you have," Johnson says. "What you want to be able to do is just train for a championship like you normally would, without the added reminder that this is really more special than anything else. Athletes in the US right now don't have to deal with stories every day in the news about security, or budgets, or countdown clocks."
Even those who have chosen to pursue their training abroad may still struggle to keep their thoughts from speeding ahead. Johnson also claimed gold medals in Barcelona in 1992 and Sydney in 2000, yet he remains in no doubt as to which of his triumphs was the most significant. The opportunity to compete in a home Olympics is one that may not even come along once in a sporting lifetime.
"All these athletes will understand that an Olympics at home is extremely significant and a rare opportunity. Most athletes never, ever get an opportunity to take part in an Olympics at home. I spoke to Steve Redgrave recently, who won five Olympics – but none at home. Had I come along 10 years later than I did, then I could still have gone to three Olympics without having one at home."
And while winning at home will certainly boost an athlete's fanbase – as well as their opportunities for lucrative endorsements – the real thrill is far more emotive. "Fame is certainly a part of it, but much more than that it's the moment of standing on the podium receiving a medal. I was able to do it in Barcelona and Sydney as well, but … doing it in Atlanta, standing on that podium and having achieved success in front of the home crowd, is a much different feeling and a much different memory."
It is, however, a double-edged sword. Along with that opportunity to thrill a partisan crowd comes the possibility of letting a nation down. May the fear of disappointing others also prove disruptive to an athlete's preparations?
"It all depends how you choose to use that," Johnson says. "I chose not to worry about that, and I actually planned for that, to make sure that I was not affected by it. I didn't allow myself to think about 'what's going to happen when the Games are over?' There's nothing in that that's healthy and there's nothing in that that's going to help me to be successful with the task in front of me.
"Thinking about that isn't going to do anything for me in terms of the task at hand. I'm still going to have seven other athletes who are going to line up against me in the final. I've got three elimination rounds to get through to get to that final, in each one of my races. That's what I chose to focus on in those days leading up to the Games."
It is one thing to control your own emotions, another to handle those of others. At a home Games, athletes will almost invariably be in much closer contact with their family and friends. "Some of them automatically know and understand that they need to not bother the athlete and put any extra pressure on the athlete," Johnson says. "Some will not know that and will actually call you on the day and say: 'Oh, I just read this in the paper about you.'
"It depends how the athlete handles it as well, you have to early on set some guidelines and say: 'Even though I'm right around the corner from you and we normally catch up every day or whatever, that's not going to be able to happen during the Games' … or whatever that athlete feels comfortable with. My family, fortunately, were always a very positive input for me."
In the end, says Johnson, the aim for any successful athlete must always be to recreate the setup that has worked for them in the past. "Even though you know the route to the stadium, you know the city, it's going to be a different city when the Games arrive. There are going to be so many people, roads that were previously accessible will be cut off, there will security everywhere. You have to build in a little more time for everything, so take the same approach you always have.
"And because that approach has generally been one of 'I don't know this place, I'm not familiar' … you're usually a little more on top of things with how you approach for that competition. So the message is – just because you're at home, don't let down your guard."
Michael Johnson is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a unique association of 47 sporting legends. The Laureus World Sports Awards take place at Central Hall, Westminster on Monday 6 February. www.laureus.com