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Not only did the South African breaststroke specialist recently clock a new personal best of 26.63 seconds in the 50m breaststroke, but he also gave fans another glimpse of " The Houligan " – the now-famous pre-race routine that has become almost as eagerly anticipated as the race itself.
If you ' ve ever wondered whether those moves are completely spontaneous, here ' s the answer: they ' re anything but.
" They’ re definitely planned. We call it ' The Houligan ', and it’ s become part of my routine, almost like a golfer’ s pre-shot routine. It helps clear my head, settle my nerves and get me into the right mindset before a race. I do it for myself, but I’ ve only ever received positive responses from people," explained the 26-year-old.
The routine has become part performance, part mental preparation for the former Youth Olympic champion.
" It comes from a lot of different places – sport, football celebrations, things I enjoyed growing up and even some of the athletes I looked up to. My very first routine was inspired by my dream of becoming an Olympian.
“ My current routine is really a reflection of my journey. There’ s a theme of preparing for battle and stepping into race mode, but there’ s also a
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lot of joy in it. For me, the goal is to stay loose and playful. That’ s when I’ m most relaxed, and that’ s when I swim my best. I also like that people can interpret the moves however they want."
That playful approach doesn ' t mean he isn ' t serious when it matters though. Houlie heads to the Commonwealth Games full of confidence after setting a new lifetime best, although his biggest takeaway wasn ' t actually the clock.
" To be honest, I wasn’ t thinking about the time straight away. I was congratulating the guys I’ d raced against and looking for my dad in the stands. It was my first win at Mare Nostrum, and I’ d grown up watching South Africans like Chad le Clos win on that circuit, so that was pretty special. The PB only really sank in afterwards."
The time itself was encouraging, but the context made it even sweeter.
" It gives me confidence, but probably more because of the circumstances than the actual time. Mare Nostrum was never the main target. It was a chance to race some of the best breaststrokers in the world. There were multiple world finalists and several of the top-ranked guys in the field. To swim a PB under training load and unshaven tells me we’ re moving in the right direction."
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Away from the blocks, Houlie is every bit as energetic as his pre-race routine suggests.
" I’ ve always been that way. I was a busy kid with a lot of energy, and moving around actually helped calm me down rather than hype me up." And if there was ever a soundtrack to accompany " The Houligan "?
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" Anything upbeat from Michael Jackson. His music always puts me in a good mood and gets my energy up before I race."
As for which teammates would happily join him in a dance challenge?
" Erin [ Gallagher ] and Kaylene [ Corbett ], for sure. I’ ve seen their Instagram Reels and TikToks – they mean business when it comes to a dance challenge!"
Just don ' t mistake the game face for a serious personality.
" People probably assume I’ m super intense before a race because of how focused I look on the blocks. In reality, I’ m usually pretty relaxed and goofy. I enjoy the atmosphere and having fun with my teammates. The switch only flips when it’ s time to race."
Turns out, the moves aren ' t just for show. They ' re simply another part of what makes Michael Houlie so fast.
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Photo courtesy of World Aquatics; Video courtesy of TheSwimsuitGuy |
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www. modernathlete. co. za |
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