Messi and the psychology of an athlete's retirement
by editors@theworld.org (Joshua Coe) from The World: Latest Stories on (#783HD)
Soccer legend Lionel Messi announced Monday his retirement from representing Argentina in international play. As the first player to win the World Cup twice, the 39-year-old tried his shot at a third win this summer, but left empty handed. Advances in training, recovery and sports science are allowing elite athletes to compete longer than ever, but the psychology of when to hang up the towel also plays an important role. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more from Helena Hlasova, a researcher at the University of Bern's Institute of Sport Science.