Inside the Mind of a 5x Olympian & Why Silver Wasn’t Enough

What happens when you win an Olympic silver medal… and it still feels like failure? At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Scotty James claimed his third Olympic medal — yet instead of celebration, the moment carried something far more complex. In real time, he made a decision that defines elite sport: he would return again in 2030 for a sixth Olympic campaign, chasing the only medal he hasn’t won — gold. In this episode of Moneyball – The Business of Sport, host Scott Keenan unpacks that mindset with Jacqui Louder, Sports & Exercise Psychologist at Performe, to understand what drives athletes like Scotty at the very edge of performance. This is not just a story about winning and losing. It’s about identity, obsession, and what happens when excellence becomes the baseline — not the goal. We explore: Why silver at the Olympic level can feel like failure, even at the peak of success The mindset behind Scotty James deciding — immediately after winning silver — to chase a sixth Olympics How elite athletes process near-perfection and reset ambition in real time The psychological challenge of sustained excellence across multiple Olympic cycles What separates elite performers who keep going from those who walk away With insights from Jacqui Louder, we pull back the curtain on the psychology of world-class sport — and what it really costs to stay in the hunt for gold. 🎙 Moneyball explores the business, psychology, and strategy behind sport’s biggest moments. Follow us on Instagram Or email the show any time [email protected].