GET SMART: THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

5 things you should know about olympic sports.

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Jarrod Shoemaker, Men's event
Bio Blast: DOB: 07/17/82; ran at Dartmouth before switching to triathlon; both parents have run Boston Marathon.

"In the Olympic triathlon, staying in the front pack during the swim is the most important thing you can do. It will put you in the front pack on the bike ride, the second leg. If you try to catch up on the bike, you'll wear out. Unlike in triathlons like the Ironman, we're allowed to draft behind other riders. On the bike, you want to stay close to the front , draft and conserve energy for the run to the finish."

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Betsey Armstrong, Water Polo Goalie
Bio Blast: DOB: 1/31/83; has a degree in classical literature from Michigan; new hobby is knitting

"The real game goes on beneath the surface of the water; the referee will make calls based on what he sees above it. If someone comes up and looks hurt, it's probably because a foul happened underwater. You'd be surprised what people can do with their legs. We tread water for 28 minutes. Leg strength is key."

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Benn Fraker, C-1 (Canoe Single)
Bio Blast: DOB: 02/23/89; completed two semesters at Georgia State.

"The goal is to get through the gates fastest, and there are different ways to do so. Some people are power paddlers; they take more strokes and pull harder. Others, like me, are more into the lines and the technique. The calmer the water, the more likely you'll be able to power through. But if the water's rough, good form is the best way to make up time."

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Casey Burgener, 105-plus kg weightlifter
Bio Blast: DOB: 08/15/82; dad Mike played football at Notre Dame, mom Leslie played hoops at UC Santa Barbara.

"Weightlifters are the most powerful athletes in the world. In the 1960s, coaches say, they tested Olympic weightlifters against sprinters for explosiveness. The weightlifters were faster out of the blocks, though they couldn't keep it up. A year ago, in a USOC-arranged standing-vertical-jump competition, the women's weightlifting team beat the women's volleyball team. And sport scientists say we're almost as flexible as gymnasts. It's something I work on a lot. But I still can't do the splits."

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Michelle Guerette, Single Scull Rowing
Bio Blast: DOB: 10/06/80; played tennis in HS, then switched to rowing at Harvard.

"The most important thing is whether or not the boat is balanced. If it is, the oars catch the water perfectly, and we push evenly without disturbing the boat. A clean start can give you a few seconds' edge. I begin each race taking about 40 strokes per minute, then slow down to 34 strokes."

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Mike Day, Men's BMX
Bio Blast: DOB: 10/09/84; won the U.S. Olympic trials; rides for team GT Bikes; third-ranked BMX rider in North America

"The second pedal stroke is the most important of the race. The first pedal snaps you out of the start gate, but the second one starts the crucial sprint. If you're watching a BMX race, and you see a rider leading into the kink, or before the first big descent, that means he put his first five pedals together—and his second pedal was flawless. Going into the second pedal, you don't want to crouch over too much. I start the race with my right foot. You want to stay upright and get as much power as possible by pushing down with your left foot and simultaneously pulling up with your right foot and arm. We're clipped into our pedals, so we get power by pushing and pulling on them. We get power from our arms, too, which is crucial."

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