Olympics 2016: Aly Raisman shares her playlist

Image
Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

We already know that the beats of Eminem and Young Jeezy help amp up Michael Phelps before he jumps in the water for a race, but Phelps is obviously not the only champ to listen to music prior to competing.

Before Aly Raisman hits the mats with Team USA for the women’s gymnastics team all-around competition Tuesday night, the 22-year-old shared with EW the playlist that gets her blood pumping.

1. “Try Me” by Jason Derulo: “My teammate Simone [Biles] and I started listening to this song at World Championships last October.” (Team USA won that competition, so it clearly worked.)

2. “Live It Up” by Colbie Caillat: “I love Colbie’s music. I’ve been a big fan for a long time.” (With lyrics like “I’m unstoppable / I drop-kick impossible,” we can see why this track could really get her going.)

3. “Rewind” by Rascal Flatts: “This song has been out for a while but I love country music. It makes me feel happy and calm.”

4. “Into You” by Ariana Grande: “This song is definitely a pump up song. It makes me want to get out of my seat and start dancing!”

5. “Little Bit of You” by Chase Bryant: “I like the lyrics of the song. Country music always puts me in a good mood.”

When Raisman needs to take her mind off whatever’s happening at the gym, she turns to comedies. “I watch How I Met Your Mother on Netflix,” she said. “I’ve seen most of the episodes. The show is so funny. Right now, with all the stress of competing, I try and watch anything that makes me laugh.”

Raisman competes in the women’s team all-around Tuesday, followed by the individual all-around on Thursday, and floor exercise next week.

Related Articles