If you have ever been to a swim meet, odds are you have noticed that swimmers have some pretty... let's say, interesting nervous habits prior to a race.

From the one who is slapping themselves red with a burning fire in their eyes preparing for the 50 free, to the one who is calmly sitting in the officials chair listening to music, and everything in between -- every swim meet has that person.

So, we decided to come up with the definitive list of the 10 different kinds of people you see behind the blocks.

What kind of swimmer are you?

1.) The Warmup Expert

This swimmer has their personal warmup down to a science. They know that it will take them 28 minutes to warmup, another three to get back to their bag and dry off, and then two more to get behind the block. This puts them in position with exactly the optimal amount of time before the race.

Crowded warmup lanes and meet delays are the bane of this swimmer’s existence. They also have no problem droning on to teammates about how effective their 'foolproof strategy' is.

2.) The Aspiring Rapper

This swimmer is clearly pursuing a career in music once their time swimming is over. A staple of the Aspiring Rapper is a pair of obnoxiously large over-the-ear headphones. Hand movements mimicking rap music videos and lip synching are other unmistakable signs of this stereotype. 

They probably can’t hear coach yelling at them from the side of the pool that their event was reseeded because deafening audio is covering their ears.

3.) Nervous Ned/Nellie

This is the type of swimmer you’d want if you were preparing for a natural disaster.  You’ll see them behind the block with two extra pairs of goggles, an extra cap, and an extra stopwatch in case their timer’s watch breaks. 

The terrified expression on their face says it all. If any tiny detail goes wrong then it’s game over for this swimmer. They are often seen pre-race with a herd of friends assuring them that the race will be fine and there’s nothing to worry about.  

4.) The Magician

Nine out of 10 coaches hate The Magician. They were nowhere to be found in warmups and nobody has seen them the first hour of the session. The magician tends to make a timely entrance and step behind the block with less than 15 seconds until they have to swim. 

This process multiplies anxiety tenfold when The Magician is placed on a relay.  Even more to the frustration of their coach, they are usually the ones with the best swims, leaving their teammates who trust the process to question everything.

5.) The Fashion Model

This swimmer probably came straight from a cover shoot to the meet. Behind the block, they’re decked out in the latest outerwear. This includes no less than five articles of clothing. In less than two minutes, they change from hiking the Himalaya’s to swimming outside in 85 degrees. 

Fashion Models are often caught discussing how crucial it is to stay warm and how bad they swam two years ago when they left their parka and Ugg boots in the hotel between sessions.

6.) The Animal

This swimmer is simply not human.  They’re seen behind the blocks howling like there’s a full moon or splashing themselves with so much water that the pool has to be refilled.  This swimmer tends to leave timers terrified. 

Instead of telling their swimmer good luck, they hide behind the defense of their clipboards, anxiously waiting for the next heat to begin. The Animal tends to wear out their mystical form during their race, as they transform back to exhausted humans when they exit the pool.

7.) Discount Double Check

This swimmer is a more composed version of the Nervous Ned/Nellie.  They’ve made all necessary preparations, but like to calmly check to make sure that everything is good to go. 

This might include double checking with their timer that they’re in the right lane, retying their suit, asking surrounding swimmers what heat they’re in, and then reconfirming their heat and lane with their timer.

8.) The Mathematician

You’re kidding yourself if you think you have a more calculated race plan than this swimmer.

Instead of spending 10 minutes after practice the night before a meet to stretch or foam roll, this swimmer was hitting the books calculating entry velocity and splits. They know to the hundredth what they have to split on each 25 in order to achieve their desired goal.

Behind the blocks, they’re going over their plan with opponents who tend not to care. Time progressions and spreadsheets take up quite a bit of memory on this swimmer’s computer.

9.) The Yoga Instructor

You’ll find this swimmer more relaxed than anyone else about to race. They’re seen behind the blocks going through an entire half-hour yoga routine.  They usually utilize the blocks, chairs, or even teammates to assist with stretching.  Taper meets tend to be a problem for these swimmers, as tech suits are much more restricting than training suits worn at in-season meets.

10.) The Wrecking Ball

Not to be confused with The Animal, this swimmer is a whole different force to be reckoned with.

Timers and surrounding swimmers have to duck behind the block as this swimmer goes through their pre-race routine. Classic movements include freestyle and backstroke arm movements, the Michael Phelps arm slap, and aggressively slapping their biceps against their lats. No fewer than two people per meet leave with bruises courtesy of The Wrecking Ball's actions.

This swimmer knows that their behavior is dangerous, but they refuse to let the safety of those surrounding them compromise their routine and success.

By Connor McCourt