Olympians of yesteryear shared the same goal, but they would hardly recognize today's training techniques. To achieve the Olympian ideal of "faster, higher, stronger," coaches now realize, athletes don't have to train more but they do have to train smarter. That's why these days, cross-country (Nordic) skiers kneel on skateboards and tug on pulleys to haul themselves up a ramp. Bobsledders practice sprinting in a near-shuffling style that would make world champion sprinter Maruice Green wince. Pixyish figure skaters hurl 10-pound medicine balls -- all because science has parsed nearly every move of every Olympic event and figured out what athletes must do to bring back the gold. That Nordic skier, for instance, is training to strengthen her upper body, which scientists find is the single greatest determinant of cross-country speed. The bobsled starter's odd sprint stance reflects the realization that he can't impart any forward oomph to the sled if his feet are off the ice, so unlike track sprinters, whose ideal form has them in the air much of the time, the bobsled athlete trains to keep his feet on the ground. The figure skater's medicine ball is strengthening her arms and torso so she can routinely perform triple jumps undreamed of a generation ago.
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