Bad boy rapper Eminem provided the inspiration for Bermuda's Ronald Cowen to put in another personal best performance in the pool on Thursday.

Cowen, who made the semi-finals of the 100m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester after notching a new best of 52.77 seconds in the morning, bettered that time in the evening touching home in 52.49. It was not quick enough for him to make the final though, the Islander coming in seventh of the eight swimmers in heat two of the event.

Aussie sensation Ian Thorpe, swimming in the same heat as Cowen, was the quickest once again, setting a Commonwealth Games record of 49.31.

Cowen, in lane eight, was the first of the semi-finalists to appear for the race, his head rocking to the sounds on his personal CD player.

He had earlier revealed that listening to Eminem, the controversial white rapper famed for his violent and sexist lyrics, got him "in the zone".

"It gets my heart rate going and gets me pumped up," Cowen said after the race. "I've listened to it for this whole thing and I don't know of any other CDs that would get me going like his do."

Cowen said he had set out with one intention.

"I got in the water and just wanted to not come eighth," he said. "I really wanted to get down to about 51 (seconds) but that was shooting for the stars."

Of racing against the `Thorpedo`, Cowen added: "You see him one second, the next second he's just gone."

-- On hearing of his unusual pre-race ritual Cowen was interviewed by Jeremy Butler, sports reporter for the mass circulation English tabloid newspaper The Daily Star.