Just like music, the Olympic and Paralympic Games are meant to inspire, thrill and mobilise a legion of fans around the world. And they have much more in common than you think. In addition to being part of the Games opening and closing ceremonies, music is present the athletes’ concentration and in their training, it cheers spectators and dictates the tone of each edition of the world’s greatest sporting event. But just as music is part of the Olympic Movement, sport also has its captive space in the history of rock.

To get into the groove of Rock in Rio, which takes place until 22 September, rio2016.com website listed 15 of the event’s attractions, both from Brazil and abroad, which have not only music but also sport, as an essential part of their lives. Check it out:

Musicians and sportspeople

1- Bruce Dickinson, of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, even tried Rugby at school, but the vocalist’s real passion is Fencing, the combat sport that he practises to this day. Dickinson's dedication is such that it transcended to the business world and inspired the creation of "The Duellist", a company that offers Fencing-specific sporting goods at affordable prices to people in the United Kingdom. At the beginning of the year, during the World Championships in Norway, Dickinson accepted a challenge and faced Olympic medallist Bartosz Piasecki in a friendly duel. Dickinson, a fencer since the age of 13, lost the match, but did not make things easy for Piasecki: "He's tough. He's short, but incredibly fast. This is his forte. He looked like Rocky when he arrived wearing a bathrobe, holding a fencing bag”, joked the fencer, who won the silver medal in London 2012.

2 - Justin Timberlakediscovered Golf at the age of 13, influenced by his father, and today he is one of the most important social golfers in the United States. Until last year, he lent his name to the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open,  a Fall Series charitable tournament. He was also responsible for golf course renovations in his home town, Memphis, renamed the Justin Timberlake's Golf Course. "Golf is me and buddies out having a good time, but most of all, golf is about me and my dad. Anytime I think of golf, I think about my dad. He taught me how to hit a golf ball, and he got me playing”, he said in an interview with Golf Digest magazine.

3 - The singer behind the hit "Girl on Fire" also has a special relationship with another Olympic discipline: Swimming. Alicia Keys began swimming already at an early age and she always trains when not on tour around the world. After watching newcomer Lia Neil’s performance in the London 2012 Olympic Games, when she won the bronze medal in the 4 x 100 relay, Alicia Keys revealed in her Facebook, Twitter and Google + profiles: "I always wanted to be an Olympic swimmer. Congratulations Lia Neal! Amazing!", congratulated the singer, winner of no less than 14 Grammy Awards.

4 -  Dexter Holland, lead singer of punk rock band The Offspring, was born to run and even completed the Los Angeles Marathon, of more than 42 kilometres.

Sport entrepreneurs

5 - John Bon Jovi’s favourite sport is American Football. The idol is so in love with the sport – which arose from a variation of Rugby – that he was one of the founders of Philadelphia Soul team.

6 - Beyoncéis another major festival attraction that is also a fan of American Football. She sang during the 2013 Super Bowl halftime, the National Championships’ great final. The singer is also a Basketball fan. Her husband, rapper Jay-Z, also bridged the gap between sport and the business world and owns the Brooklyn Nets, an NBA team. The two are often seen watching American League matches.

In the pages of a book

7 - A fanatic Cruzeiro supporter, Jota Quest Guitarist Marco Túlio is one of the artists invited to tell some of their childhood’s important moments with their favourite Football team in the pages of one of the books belonging to the "Time do Coração" (“Favourite Team” in Portuguese) series. The musician’s edition was titled “MeuPequeno Cruzeirense" (“My little Cruzeiro supporter” in Portuguese).

8 - Another Brazilian registering his passion for the team in a book was Skank’s leader, Samuel Rosa, who wrote "O Dia em que Me Tornei... Cruzeirense" (“The Day I Became a Cruzeiro Supporter” in Portuguese).

9 - Nando Reishas also participated in the "Time do Coração" project, speaking about his passion for São Paulo.

Straight from the big screen

10 - Jared Leto, leader of the band 30 Seconds to Mars, lived the story of Olympic champion Steve Prefontaine on the silver screen, the American runner who competed in the Munich 1972 Olympic Games and served as inspiration for the sport’s popularisation in the United States. The band’s recent clip, entitled "Into the air", also featured the participation of fencers and gymnasts, including that of gold medallist McKayla Maroney.

Music and the Games

The tradition of bringing major names of music from each Games host country in order to play in the ceremonies is responsible for billions of people all over world watching the shows. And some of the attractions of this edition of Rock in Rio already had this experience:

11 - In 2010, Canadian band Nickelback rounded off the Vancouver Winter Games beautifully.

12 - And British band Muse were an active part of the London 2012 Games. In addition to composing the Games’ official song – “Survivor”, which was also played during the closing ceremony, Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Christopher Wolstenholme carried the Olympic torch in their hometown during the London 2012 Torch Relay.

13 - Another British artist, Jessie J, was also part of the closing ceremony, singing Queen’s classic "We Will Rock You".

14 - And speaking of the London Games, Florence and the Machine’s song “Spectrum”, is considered to be one of the most played in the Olympic and Paralympic Villages and throughout the city during the 2012 Games.

Preparations for Rio 2016

15 - An Equestrian fan, Bruce Springsteen accompanies his daughter to all the tournaments she participates. Jessica Springsteen is hoping for her first Olympic participation in Rio 2016 and is accompanied by none other than Vindicat, the horse that won the gold medal in London 2012 along Rider Peter Charles, a gift from her doting father. The two are already training to put on a show in 2016. This time, Bruce will be in the audience.