7 mental tricks US Olympic athletes use to perform under pressure

Clive Rose / Staff / Getty Images

When you're competing against the best athletes in the world, everyone's in great shape, having spent years crafting the perfect physique to perform at the top of their game.

But physical prowess will only get you so far. Many Olympians will tell you that success is also a product of their mindset, and of their ability to not get intimidated by their opponents and crumble under pressure.

Everyone uses a different strategy. Business Insider combed through recent interviews with members of Team USA and highlighted the psychological tactics they find most effective.

The best part? Anyone can use modified versions of these tricks, whether you're trying to stay calm during a tough meeting or pump yourself up before giving a presentation.

Read on for insight into the minds of legends.

Allyson Felix tunes out distractions

The 30-year-old track-and-field star told Sports Illustrated:

"When I am walking out to the blocks, I'm just extremely focused. I'll see all the cameras flashing and I'll just be, like, unaware of it all. I don't hear any noise around me. I'm completely just dialed in to what I have to do."

Michael Phelps visualizes a plan for every scenario

2016 marks Phelps' fifth Olympics. In 2012, he and his longtime coach Bob Bowman spoke to The Washington Post about Phelps' mental preparation. 

Bowman said:

"He will see exactly the perfect race. And he will see it like he's sitting in the stands, and he'll see it like he's in the water. And then he will go through scenarios: What if things don't go well?"

"If my suit ripped or if my goggles broke, you know, what would I do?" Phelps said.

Here's Bowman again:

"So he has all of this in his database, so that when he swims the race he's already programmed his nervous system to do one of those. And he'll just pick the one that happens to come up."

Lexi Thompson calms herself with happy thoughts

Thompson, 21, was the youngest golfer to play in the US Women's Open, at age 12. In an interview with ESPN, she said she's been working with a life coach who's helped her boost her mental game while performing.

Here's Thompson:

"When [my life coach and I] get together, he'll hook me up to a monitor to measure my relaxation. If I think about something that gets me hyped, my heart beat shoots up. When it starts to spike, he has me take a deep breath and think about something that makes me happy.

"I'll think positive thoughts like 'You're blessed' or 'You're talented,' and instantly see changes in my heart beat.

"I put this breathing technique into my routine out on the golf course. Before I hit a shot, I'll visualize the shot I want to hit to get rid of all negative thoughts. I have to maintain a positive mindset because golf is 80 percent mental."