An investigation into state and trait anxiety levels of triathletes before and after competition

The purpose of this study is to compare the pre- and post-competition state and trait anxiety levels of athletes actively involved in triathlon and to examine the relationships between these levels and variables such as age, sports age, and gender. The study included a total of 110 triathletes (64 males, 46 females) aged between 13 and 18 who voluntarily participated in the 2024 Turkey Triathlon Championships held in Ordu, Isparta Eğirdir, and Bursa Mudanya. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), adapted into Turkish by Öner and Le Compte (1985), was used to collect data. The scale was administered to the athletes at two time points: before and after the competition. The data were transferred to SPSS 30; after a normality test, they were analyzed using the Dependent Sample t-test, Pearson correlation test, and Independent Sample t-test. A statistically significant difference was found between pre- and post-competition state anxiety levels (p<0.01). In contrast, no significant change was observed in trait anxiety levels. Negative and significant relationships were found between age and sports experience variables and both types of anxiety (p<0.01). In addition, significant differences were found in all anxiety levels according to gender. Triathletes' pre-competition state anxiety levels were significantly higher than post-competition levels. This indicates that the uncertainty and pressure experienced before the competition increased anxiety levels. Furthermore, it was found that age, sports experience, and gender have significant effects on anxiety levels. The findings highlight the necessity of developing anxiety management strategies targeting the pre-competition period in the field of sports psychology.