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MENTAL STRENGTH“My mental preparation has changed a lot over the years. In the past I had a tendency to get a bit emotional and teary if things didn’t go according to plan, but I like to think I’m a lot more resilient these days. I also started working with a sports psychologist last year, which has helped my focus and ability to deal with the pressure.”PYEONGCHANG“For the first time in my career, I can say I’m the fastest and strongest skater in the world at the moment so my confidence is high. Breaking the world record was obviously a good marker and I’m definitely in a good place right now. I’m having a few technical issues with some new blades I’ve been using but there’s time to resolve them. I think the most important factor is that I’m feeling calm about PyeongChang 2018. Before Sochi, I felt that I needed a medal to define my career. Now, I still want an Olympic medal but I don’t feel I need one.”“Life as an athlete is certainly not glamorous. Short track speed skating isn’t a rich sport so we travel cheaply and stay in cheap places. It can be stressful, but none of that matters when it all comes together at a race and all the sacrifice is worthwhile. My coach, Nicky Gooch, is a dad and he says the only thing as tiring is looking after kids.”SACRIFICE“I’ve been training with the British men’s team this season. It’s all about setting myself new goals. It hurts my ego when they beat me, but you can only get better if you compete against faster and stronger skaters. They’ve been really supportive and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I broke the 500m world record in Salt Lake City (USA) in November after training with the boys.”IMPROVEMENTFollow Elise on the IOC Olympic Athletes’ Hub OLYMPIC REVIEW 51DESTINATION PYEONGCHANG