Why do swimmers wet their suits and taste the water right before a race?

Question

They're gonna jump in and get a mouthful anyways aren't they?

Answer 1

so that their suits can cling to their skin...but i dont know why they taste the water...  

Answer 2

They wet their suits so they can start getting their muscles warmed up and used to the water.  I am not sure why they taste it...that is kinda gross.

Answer 3

I think there could be two possible reasons for "tasting" the water::

One, they could be just wetting their face, like they wet their suits, to get warmed up and not focus on how different the water is.

Two, they could be just smelling it to see if there's enough chlorine. It's not good to have too much or too little, because chlorine helps regulate a pool's germs, water, etc.

I hope this helped. Then again, it's just a guess. I'm not really sure...

Answer 4

Its a psychological action.  The wetting of the suit and tasting of the water allows the swimmer to mentally prepare for the temperature change when hitting the water at the beginning of the race.  It is believed that your mind wont focus as long on the water temperature thus allowing you more time to concentrate on your stroke.  Hope this helps..