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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Swimming Performance Assessment in Fishes

Swimming Performance Assessment in Fishes

Published on: May 20, 2011

Effects of a Process-Oriented Goal Setting Model on Swimmer's Performance.

Paulo Simões¹, José Vasconcelos-Raposo, António Silva

¹Research Centre in Sports, Health and Human Development (CIDESD. ; University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Portugal.

Journal of Human Kinetics

|March 15, 2013

Summary

Mental training significantly improved swimmers' chronometric performance. However, performance declined post-intervention, indicating the lasting impact of psychological support in competitive swimming.

Keywords:

goal setting mental training performance swimming

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Area of Science:

Sports Science
Psychology
Performance Analysis

Background:

Competitive swimmers often face performance plateaus.
Mental training programs can enhance athletic achievement.
Goal setting is a key psychological strategy in sports.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of a mental training program on Portuguese swimmers' race times.
To evaluate the impact of the Vasconcelos-Raposo (2001) goal setting model.
To assess performance changes during and after psychological intervention.

Main Methods:

Longitudinal study over two years with nine national and international swimmers (aged 14-20).
Implementation of a goal setting model in the first season.
Performance evaluation through seven assessments across both seasons, including a follow-up period.

Main Results:

Significant improvements in chronometric performance were observed during the mental training intervention.
Swimmers' performance decreased in the second season (follow-up) after the intervention concluded.
The study highlights the immediate positive effects and potential decline without continued support.

Conclusions:

Mental training, specifically goal setting, can acutely enhance swimmers' performance.
Sustained performance improvements may require ongoing psychological support or program adjustments.
The findings underscore the importance of psychological interventions in elite sports.