Understanding how athletes experience excellent performance is of interest to athletes, coaches, and practitioners in sport. This study investigated the psychological states underlying excellent performance in 26 athletes across a range of sports and standards. Participants were interviewed on average 4 days after excellent performances. Data were analysed thematically. Two psychological states – flow and clutch – were reported to underlie excellent athletic performance. Each of these states occurred through separate contexts and processes, while athletes also transitioned between these states during performances. The findings were used to inform the development of a proposed integrated model of flow and clutch states in sport. This study extended current knowledge of the psychology of excellent performance and the findings are discussed in terms of implications for future research and applied practice.