These Team USA swimmers rely on routines in the pool - and superstitions out of it

Nail polish, second warm-ups and very specific arm movements. Those are just some of the superstitions some Olympic swimmers follow before getting in the water.

Team USA’s Paige Madden interviews some of her teammates ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, including five-time Olympic medalist Lilly King and six-time World Championships long-course gold medalist Nic Fink, about things they can’t skip before competitions.

“Swimmers have some special routines,” Madden says, sharing that she doesn’t like to wear nail polish when she races because of one bad race after painting her nails. Most superstitions from Madden’s teammates are also tied to performances at past races.

This will be Madden’s second Olympics. She won a silver medal in the women’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics alongside Katie Ledecky, one of the most decorated female Olympians of all time. This summer, Ledecky will be going for an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Team USA swimmers rely on routines in pool, superstitions out of it