Dear Dr. Abel,

I read your column regularly. The purpose of emailing you is to address your most recent article. I would like to address the section 'More focus on mental development'. I would like to ask you if it is possible that you could contact the ministers of Sports and Development and request that more focus be placed on mental development and that it is incorporated in the training of our sprinters.

I watched the 100 metres race between Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay and I could tell that Asafa was very nervous. He was sweating a lot and even though one of the announcers said that he was relaxed, I knew he was not.

I have the same problem growing up; I would fail exams because I was so nervous. In the exams, I would go from one question to the next without finishing any of the questions. Also, I would sweat a lot like Asafa. Even today, at 59 years of age, I sweat a lot even for the simplest of things. However, even sweating so much, I was still able to get my Bachelor of Science degree in electrical problems, but I still cannot control my nervousness.

Jamaica's athletes can win more gold if they can get better training to help them focus on their mental development. I agree with you, American athletes are better prepared in that area. I know this for a fact because I have been living in the United States for 30 years.

- Cargill

Send questions and comments to our health specialists at Your Health, c/o The Gleaner, 7 North Street, Kingston; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com. Unless otherwise indicated, letters and the specialists' responses are usually published in our letters section and in our articles.