"Fundamentals are the key"

Franck Elemba is the Congolese shot put record holder indoors and out. Here, he shares some sound advice for competition and life away from the shot circle.

Championship tip 

Give the absolute best of yourself in championship competitions when the spotlight is the brightest. Give your best; physically, mentally and emotionally.

All of the hard work it takes to reach our level in athletics is done, so it is really about just focusing on delivering your very best when the heat is on at major competitions.

Tactical tip

Do not get hurt! Remember the best parts of your techniques and execute as flawlessly as you can.

Psychological tip

Believe in yourself and what you do. As I mentioned, all of the hard work of training and building the base is done. Also, avoid your mind being crowded with too much information. It is best to clear your head before any competition.

Coaching tip

Do not hesitate; when you hesitate, you restrict your chances to perform at your highest level and open yourself up to injury.

Technical tip

Fundamentals are the key. We train our bodies to be graceful and powerful at the same time, so being technically sound is so very important to be able to fulfil our full potential. I always tell myself to "work gently"; I try to be very fluid and execute the technique in a very sound way, while being as powerful as possible.  

Top tip for surviving the athletics circuit

Surviving the track circuit can be both an easy task and at the same time a very hard one as well. For instance; we are able to travel to beautiful cities and explore wonderful places, and do what we love and perform for great fans. But that is countered by the time spent training alone in camps or in transit between events by yourself.

So to survive this you have to be mentally strong and look after yourself. I also think it is important to have good people around you as – whether it is your coach, friend, physio, etc. – you need to have someone to help ease the time spent away from home. 

Cooking tip

I am a very good cook! Protein and starch is big for me and I love a good hearty meal to refuel my body. I would say that while on the circuit it is important to eat a very balanced diet, try to avoid heavy meals. At home my tip is that a very good, quality olive oil is important to cooking; it can dramatically change all aspects of what you are preparing.

Best parental advice

Love what you do! This is the best advice I got from my parents. You are going to spend the majority of your time perfecting this craft, so you must love it. If not, you cannot give all of yourself to the sport you will never achieve the goals and dreams as you wish. 

Fashion tip

Matching colours is very important for me. I prefer matching top and bottom for a very clean look. A good sport coat and matching trouser is always a good choice for all occasions.

Driving tip

Always be alert and keep watch of others!

Holiday tip

Be sure to take the time to relax, which will allow you to both physically and mentally recharge. It is great to sightsee and do activities on a holiday, but I always make sure I taking the time out to relax as well.

Social media tip

Keep your life off social media. It is more and more common in today's world of social media that we share more and more about our life, especially being professional athletes. But it is important to keep your personal life off social media and maintain some sort of privacy. 

Dating tip

Always give a good presentation of yourself. Also, manners go a very long way. I would say, just be yourself is the best route to go!