It’s common for athletes to develop specific pre-race rituals, some even bordering on superstition. Many world-class racers feel off on the starting line if everything leading up to it isn’t just right. So, when Jonathan Ross asked the legendary Usain Bolt about his ritual, it seemed like a routine question. But the fastest man in history didn’t have a straightforward answer.

“Did you have superstitions?” The Jonathan Ross Show host asked the world record holder. While Bolt initially said, “no” he recalled an incident ahead of his final Olympic appearance in 2016. The 100m record holder recalled speaking to a friend about cutting his hair ahead of the Olympics and making the discovery. It was something that had escaped Bolt’s mind for years.

“Every World Championships I would grow my ear out but at the Olympics, I would cut it.” Anyone who witnessed Lightning Bolt on the track could attest to his nearly clean-shaven look at each Olympics. However, just before his last Olympics in Rio 2016, Usain Bolt had a conversation with a friend about cutting his hair.

“I remember at the last Olympics in 2016 one of my friends said, ‘Are you going to cut your hair?… I feel like you shouldn’t.” the friend advised. However, that’s when the eight-time Olympic gold medalist realized his hidden dependence. “I go, ‘I’m not going to chance it… I’m going to cut my hair.’ So that’s the only thing I’ve really picked up on.” the 38-year-old told Ross.

Despite his friend’s advice, the Olympic champion dreaded not cutting his hair ahead of the grandest sporting event. This is in stark contrast to how the eccentric champion acted throughout his career. During a 2017 interview with Eurosports ahead of his final World Championships, Usain Bolt claimed to be immune to pressure. “I don’t really feel pressure,” said the Jamaican.

The fact that something as simple as not cutting his hair became a hindrance shows how deeply such beliefs can take hold, even for world record breakers. A similar pattern can be observed among the eleven-time World Champion’s arch-rivals.

What pre-race ritual did Usain Bolt’s American rival follow?

Although Justin Gatlin also didn’t have superstitions, the fifth-fastest man in history maintained a pre-race ritual. During an interview with Stack.com ahead of the 2016 Olympics, Gatlin explained how the practice became instinctual for him too. “I wouldn’t really know if I have a routine. I just kind of feel it, how it is.” Gatlin told stack.com.

The Olympic gold medalist explained that once he leaves the warm-up room, “it’s just straight dialed in.” However, the man who went up against Usain Bolt in iconic races also changed his pre-race ritual throughout his career. By the time the 42-year-old sat for the interview, his preferred activity ahead of a race ranged from listening to music to something unique.

“Over the years, I’ve used music to pump me up. In the last like year or so, when I warm up, I just listen to my heartbeat, man.” confessed the former world champion. In this regard, Gatlin’s approach aligns with that of the most decorated Olympian in history, Michael Phelps. After all, who can forget the iconic snapshot of Phelps listening to music moments before his race at Rio 2016, which quickly went viral? It seems that, knowingly or unknowingly, nearly all athletes come to rely on some sort of ritual ahead of career-defining moments.