PURPOSE This study aimed to explore the imagery strategies of elite Taekwondo demonstrators during the match preparation period. METHODS The participants were 30 elite Taekwondo demonstration athletes enrolled in the Korea University Taekwondo Federation. Data were collected using open-ended questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The study referred to the qualitative approach for data collection proposed by Gould et al. (1992). Inductive content analysis of an imagery was conducted based on the imagery classification frameworks outlined by Paivio (1985) and Suinn (1996). Three experts independently reviewed and categorized raw data and imagery cases. RESULTS The findings revealed that elite Taekwondo demonstration athletes typically utilized the types of imagery described by Paivio (1985) and Suinn (1996). Among the factors, imagery of skills appeared with the highest frequency followed by imageries of competition, anxiety regulation, mental skills, and motivation. Furthermore, 2 weeks and 1 day prior to a competition, the elite Taekwondo demonstrators mainly used imageries of skills and competition, respectively. On the day, they use imageries of anxiety regulation and mental skills. CONCLUSIONS After the competition, they mainly used imagery of skills. In summary, the elite Taekwondo demonstrators employed personalized imagery strategies for enhancing training effectiveness and optimizing performance during competition. These strategies varied according to specific phases or contexts of the competition
