Does home location put young athletes under pressure?

Abstract

This paper examines how Norwegian (n = 5) and Austrian (n = 12) cyclists experienced the interaction with different stakeholders when participating at the UCI Road World Championship. Athletes were interviewed during and after the event in their respective home countries. In addition, informal interviews with coaches and journalists were conducted. Findings reveal that the young athletes perceived the media to be a stressor when adding the 'home location' to the event; this was particularly true for the Norwegian men. The massive attention, extra-curricular activities added by sponsors and the expectation of excelling 'at home', placed pressure on them. In contrast to the Norwegians, Austrian athletes were less stressed as the local organisers were more focused on promoting cycling tourism than on Austrian success in the competition. The findings contribute to the literature by: 1) emphasising the significance of the media as a stressor; 2) identifying the factors that determine the level of stress on young athletes; 3) finally, analysing the significance of home location for young athletes in the context of major sports events.