Rap to rev up, soul to calm down: Freestyle skiers pick their soundtracks at the Winter Olympics

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Standing atop a makeshift 15-story tower, moments before hurtling down a nauseatingly steep slope for the big air jump at the Winter Olympics, freestyle skier Evan McEachran still needed that little extra burst of adrenaline.

So it’s time to crank up the tunes.

Earphones snug inside his crash helmet, McEachran got revved up listening to some rap while mentally going through the routine of acrobatic twists and turns he was about to perform while flying through the frosty night air in the Italian Alps.

“Tonight I had a little bit of hardcore rap music going to get motivated and to push me,” the Canadian skier said after Sunday’s qualifying session for the men’s big air final.

“You can hear the crowd erupting," he said. "But I needed all the help I could get just to be fired up and try to send it off the jump.”

In the big air event, skiers gain momentum sliding down a huge ramp before they jump and perform complex tricks. Judges score the flips and spins, including pretzel-like shapes with skis splayed or crossed, before the skiers pull up at the last split second and slam skis-first into the landing area, kicking up a spray of snow.

And for some skiers like McEachran, a pair of earphones connected to a smart phone is as indispensable as his skis, poles and helmet.

He even carries a backup pair of earphones just in case.

“If I’m feeling like I’m a little low on energy, I’ll put on some high-tempo music," he said. "That fires me up and gives me a little jolt."

McEachran is among the not-insignificant number of freestyle skiers and snowboarders who brought tunes to Livigno, the host of the Winter Olympic action sports.

And within that special group of music-loving daredevils, each has their own reason for applying a soundtrack to their death-defying jumps.

Swiss skier Nils Rhyner joined McEachran in needing some extra oomph.

His music of choice? The totally non-relaxing Swiss hard core punk, “The Dog’s Revenge.”

“I just listen to the song that taps me up the most every contest,” Rhyner said. “It kind of helps me to be by myself."

For McEachran, the musical choice varies with the event he is competing in.

While big air’s all-or-nothing, Hail Mary-style jump demands to be accompanied by some do-or-die track, he goes for something soothing when doing his slopestyle routine.

Slopestyle, whereby skiers perform a series of tricks over a course of rails and jumps, requires a sense of flow, and for that, McEachran often turns to some smooth Frank Ocean soul, or perhaps just some good old country.

“If I’m feel a little overwhelmed then it’s the calm stuff you know,” he said. “Happy vibes.”

Athletes chilling out, grooving with huge headphones before competing has become a common sight across sports, from basketball to soccer and even swimming. But actually keeping the party going once the action starts is another thing.

That said, a good number of freestyle skiers fly through the air with their ears empty.

Matej Svancer of Austria, who finished Sunday’s qualifying with the second-best time, said he likes good music as much as the next freestyle skier, but he thinks listening to music hurts his ability to orient his body while doing tricks.

“Because if you got the earplugs in there, it’s like a sense that you’re shutting down because you can’t feel the speed anymore,” he said. “You’re shutting down the balance as well. So you can’t orient that well in the air.”

Defending big air gold medalist Birk Ruud used to listen to music while competing earlier in his career, but the 25-year-old said that over time he felt it was just a distraction from what he realized was the only way to do deal with the pressure of the moment.

“When I compete, I want to stay present and aware and hear whatever the noise or hear all my surroundings," Ruud said after qualifying second. "And you will do your best when you are fully, like, present.”

Still, for some skiers, music helps ground them, especially when the seconds count down until their turn to launch themselves down the big air ramp.

“When you’re waiting up there, let’s say the last two minutes, it can make you very, very nervous," Swiss skier Andri Ragettli said. “The music brings you in the zone, and the time goes by.”

And in any case, he said, once you make the leap, you only register the sound of silence — even if the music is still blaring.

“As soon as I’m going into the in-run,” Ragettli said, “the music is gone."

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Switzerland's Andri Ragettli celebrates his run during the men's freestyle skiing slopestyle finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Switzerland's Andri Ragettli competes during the men's freestyle skiing big air qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Canada's Evan McEachran reacts during men's freestyle skiing slopestyle qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Canada's Evan McEachran competes during the men's freestyle skiing big air qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

United States' Konnor Ralph looks on during the men's freestyle skiing big air qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

MILAN (AP) — Russian figure skater Adeliia Petrosian said she is feeling “excellent” after a practice session at the Winter Olympics on Monday with her controversial coach, seemingly dispelling injury concerns.

Petrosian was joined by coach Eteri Tutberidze for a half-hour session at the practice rink next to the venue where she will compete in the women's short program Tuesday against the likes of Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu.

“Mood is excellent,” Petrosian said when asked how she was feeling after the skate.

Petrosian seemed comfortable on the ice as she rehearsed her free skate routine and landed numerous clean triple jumps. After finishing her program she had a couple falls on jumps late in the session but seemed unshaken.

Petrosian is due to compete as an “individual neutral athlete” at the Milan Cortina Olympics due to restrictions on Russia's participation during its war in Ukraine.

She's only competed once in a senior competition outside of Russia and her fitness had been uncertain following comments about injuries last month in a recent Russian documentary.

The International Skating Union vetted Petrosian before granting her neutral status for the Olympic qualifier she won in September, when Tutberidze wasn't listed in her entourage.

The International Olympic Committee manages coaches' accreditations for the Olympics, where Tutberidze is also present as a coach for a Georgian men's skater.

The ISU said in a statement issued during Petrosian's practice that it had “a robust series of protocols” covering the vetting of athletes and coaches for the qualifiers.

“The Olympic Winter Games and related rules are the responsibility of the IOC,” the ISU added.

The IOC said Tutberidze was at the Games as a coach for Georgia and indicated she won't be rink-side when Petrosian skates in competition.

“As at all Olympic Games, during training, figure skating athletes are able to seek guidance from other coaches that they know well,” the IOC said in an e-mailed statement. “During the actual competition, the athletes may only be coached by their accredited team officials.”

Tutberidze has coached numerous Russian women’s skating champions including Kamila Valieva, whose doping case overshadowed the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Then-IOC President Thomas Bach was critical of the “coldness” displayed by Valieva's entourage toward the skater, who was 15 at the time, when she missed the podium.

The World Anti-Doping Agency's president said this month that an investigation found no evidence Tutberidze was implicated in Valieva's doping case but that he was personally not “comfortable with her presence here in the Olympic Games.”

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Individual Neutral Athlete Adeliia Petrosian, right, speaks with coach Eteri Tutberidze, center, and choreographer Daniil Gleikhengauz, during a figure skating practice session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Individual Neutral Athlete Adeliia Petrosian performs during a figure skating practice session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Individual Neutral Athlete Adeliia Petrosian skates during a figure skating practice session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Individual Neutral Athlete Adeliia Petrosian skates during a figure skating practice session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Individual Neutral Athlete Adeliia Petrosian, left, speaks with choreographer Daniil Gleikhengauz, center, and coach Eteri Tutberidze, during a figure skating practice session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Individual Neutral Athlete Adeliia Petrosian skates during a figure skating practice session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)