The Relationships between Pre-competition Anxiety, Self-efficacy, and Fear of Injury in Elite Teamgym Athletes

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between state anxiety, self-efficacy and fear of injury in national and European TeamGym competitions. A cross-sectional study design was employed using measures of anxiety, self-efficacy and fear of injury. Fourteen (seven men and seven women) Italian TeamGym athletes (age 26±3 years) filled in the Self-efficacy for Physical Abilities Scale and the Gymnastics Fear Inventory during their pre-competitive period and the State Anxiety Inventory immediately before every competition. The competition level showed a positive effect on state anxiety, with the highest values emerging during the European Championship. Fear of injury and self-efficacy explained 43% and 68% of the variance in an athlete’s anxiety, respectively. The present findings indicate that self-efficacy dampens the anxiety level of TeamGym athletes and mediates the effects of fear of injury on anxiety prior to their competition, with athletes who experience less fear of being injured and are more confident in their technical abilities and therefore show a lesser degree of pre-competitive anxiety.