Working out to Kanye
Pan Am medallists pick their favourites from his songs
With the Pan Am Games down to the wire, the Kanye West-headlined closing ceremony is fast approaching.
Though the reliably bound-to-controversy American rapper has faced the usual opposition to his presence, many of Canada’s athletes have expressed enthusiasm about his performance.
So, The Canadian Press asked several Pan Am medallists: What’s your favourite Kanye West song?
Hamilton cyclist Sean MacKinnon thought the brouhaha over West’s Pan Am gig was “funny,” and looks forward to seeing him perform Sunday.
As far as his favourite song? Let’s have a toast for Runaway, West’s nine-minute masterpiece of minor-key self-flagellation.
“Yeah, Runaway for sure,” said MacKinnon, who took bronze in men’s individual time trial.
“It might have to do with all the hard efforts that I’ve done listening to that song. It’s got me through some tough 10-minute intervals.”
Bronze medallist hurdler Nikkita Holder couldn’t choose only one West song, instead hailing his classic 2004 debut The College Dropout, which yielded West his first four Top 15 singles.
“I haven’t listened to much of his newer stuff, but his first album was the best,” said the Pickering, Ont., native.
“My best friend and I — in Grade 10 or 11, fashion class — used to listen to that CD religiously. We used to walk home singing all the songs. So I’m really hoping he’ll play a few songs from that album.
“But other than that, I’m just excited to see him perform,” she added. “I’ve only been to one official concert, which was Taylor Swift a couple years ago, so I’m pretty excited. I think it’ll be great.”
Of course, West’s biggest hit, Stronger, still holds the mightiest resonance with Canadian athletes — and it helps that it was once a fixture in their workout plans.
“I go through phases, but it was definitely on my training playlist for a long time and I’m sure it will make a recurrence soon enough,” said Calgary cyclist Kate O’Brien, who won gold in women’s team sprint.
The Daft Punk-sampling anthem gave West his third No. 1 single — and first in Canada — while achieving ubiquity back in 2007.
Toronto trampolinist Karen Cockburn was preparing for the 2008 Beijing Games at the time — where she would win the silver, her third Olympic medal.
“Back when it was popular, when it first came out, I was like: ‘Yeah!”’ laughed Cockburn, who won bronze at these Pan Am Games. “It just gets you going, right?” Not all Pan Am sports require such high-energy training tunes.
Men’s race walk gold medallist Evan Dunfee also chose Stronger as his favourite Kanye song — because it’s the only one he knows.
The Richmond, B.C., native prefers a more sedate soundtrack for his training.
“I listen to the Harry Potter audiobooks,” he said with a laugh. “I got through all seven of them. It took me about two years.
“Stephen Fry narrated it. It was peaceful,” he added. “I’m going out for a 30K walk, I’ll throw Stephen Fry on for two and a half hours. It’s perfect.”