WHEN Michael Phelps strides on to the deck at the Olympic pool in London to race for gold, one thing will be certain.
Photograph: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIREHe will have headphones clamped to his head, with aggressive hip-hop pumping through his ears almost to the instant he steps on to the starting block. In Beijing, where he won a record eight gold medals, his pre-race choice was Lil' Wayne's I'm Me, the lyrics a perfect fit for his all-conquering performance.
It's a formula that has worked for Phelps through three Olympic Games (Eminem was his artist of choice in 2004) and a record 14 gold medals, but it doesn't just work for history's greatest swimmer. Olympians of all types will be tapping into iPods for inspiration when the Games begin in London.
Research into the influence of music on athletic performance has shown that the right beat and lyrics not only puts an athlete into the right frame of mind to perform at their best but also improves their performance…
To read more, check out Nicole Jeffery's story here