Whatever U.S. Olympic swimmer and gold metal collector Michael Phelps is listening to before getting in the pool these days, it’s working.
Olympic athletes are using music to propel themselves through the water, around the track and toward their goals in Beijing. Eugenia Tanaka, a member of the Australian women’s badminton doubles team, likes “really fast music, and really loud music so I get pumping.” Gilbert Tuhabonye, a long distance runner from Burundi (who just missed making the Olympics this year), prefers the bright and lively sounds of Zairean artist Koffi Olomide.
Some athletes use music not to pump themselves up for competition, but to relax. Former U.S. Olympic rower Jennifer Devine plays the piano to calm down between practices. China’s sports system uses soothing music (as well as meditation, yoga, hypnosis, and “uplifting” stories and films) for its athletes.
Country music seems to be the choice for American athletes when relaxing, but when something energetic is needed to get the blood moving, the most popular choice, hands-down, is hip-hop.
Lebron James of the U.S. men’s basketball team listens to Jay-Z before games. Men’s soccer player Freddy Adu likes 50 Cent and Eminem.
And Phelps? He likes Fiddy and Eminem too, as well as Snoop Dogg. But his favorite pre-race song is the one that he was listening to the first time he broke a world record. “I ALWAYS listen to DMX. The song is called ‘Party Up,’ says Phelps.
Next time you see Phelps poolside, just know that he’s about to go all out, up in here, with some help from DMX.
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