How Ronnie O'Sullivan and Sir Chris Hoy share a unique factor in their golden sporting success - 'Mindset changed'
Updated 05/03/2025 at 15:57 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan and Sir Chris Hoy both attribute their outstanding sporting success to the mental gains they achieved by working with Professor Steve Peters, the celebrated sports psychiatrist. Similar to snooker GOAT O'Sullivan, all-time British cycling great Hoy recalls a career-defining moment in meeting Peters. "My mindset changed," said the six-time Olympic gold medalist.
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Sir Chris Hoy and Ronnie O'Sullivan have both reached the summit of their respective sports, but the two British icons may never have fulfilled their potential without the influence of Professor Steve Peters, the lauded sports psychologist.
Cycling great Hoy admits he may never have progressed to win six Olympic gold medals in Athens (2004), Beijing (2008) and London (2012), as well as 11 World Championship titles, without the help of Peters in boosting his mental approach.
O'Sullivan has spoken extensively in the past about the role "father figure" Peters played in breathing fresh life into his gilded career by reforming his attitude to competition.
"Steve Peters helped me with not quitting, basically. I didn't know I was quitting - not even quitting, more about sabotaging," said O'Sullivan.
"I was really good at sabotaging and didn't know I was actually doing it. And so now I don't do that really, so it just makes me a tougher match player."
After first working with Peters in 2011, the snooker GOAT won four of his record-equalling seven world titles at the Crucible amid a rise to a record 41 ranking titles.
Speaking to fellow Scot and O'Sullivan's fellow seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, Hoy was full of praise for Peters and his work with British Cycling.
"I started working with a psychologist, a guy called Steve Peters, and my mindset changed," said Hoy on the WST podcast.
"I know he's worked with Ronnie O'Sullivan. He joined the cycling team in the early 2000s.
"Before then, my results were very hit-and-miss. If everything was working in my favour, and I was calm and happy, I could produce some really impressive performances.
"But if one thing wasn't quite right with my preparation or on the day, I was easily distracted.
"Poor decisions in the heat of the moment, reacting to stuff... Steve really helped me to take control of my thoughts and to be the one in charge.
"And to be the one proactive in races. Races only last for 10 or 20 seconds. Within that, you have a split decision to make in combat or head-to-head activity whether it is snooker, boxing, sprint cycling or tennis.
"It is about dictating tactics. If you are always on the front foot, they are always reacting to you.
"That doesn't mean you get it right all the time, but I think you stack the odds in your favour. I learned how to do that."
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Hoy also claimed a remarkable 34 World Cup titles and two Commonwealth golds, but believes his remarkable success on the track came because he never made winning his ultimate goal.
"I always focussed on the process of what I had to do," said Hoy.
"I never went in thinking about the gold medal or winning the race. I always went in thinking about how I could produce my best performance and the result takes care of itself.
"If you think about the end result, it causes stress. Either fear of failure, or what it would mean, which can distract you from the moment."
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