title: Plaudits and pitfalls in studying elite athletes.
abstract: The study of elite athletes, because of their rarity, renders statistical power difficult to achieve, control groups difficult or impossible to find, and generalizability difficult to demonstrate. Alternative methods of analysis may be better suited to such study.
authors.affiliation: Sport Biomechanics and Engineering, Sport Science-U.S. Olympic Committee, 1 Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO 80909, USA. bill.sands@usoc.org
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.forename: Jeni R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: McNeal
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Stone
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D009042:Motivation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013177:Sports; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology