Toronto Star

Think you’ve got what it takes to be an Olympic athlete?

- KERRY GILLESPIE SPORTS REPORTER

Pedal, jump and push-up: So you think you could be an Olympic athlete? Start by excelling in these speed, power, strength and endurance tests:

■ Six-second bike sprint: Athletes pedal flat out for six seconds on a stationary bike while staying seated. An ergometer measures the peak wattage and a second calculatio­n factors in the athlete’s weight to get to watts per kilogram. This is a key test for sprint discipline­s in track cycling and speedskati­ng.

■ Vertical jump: The athletes step on the mat and jump up as high as they can. A sensor device measures their height and time in the air. It measures explosive power; the higher athletes can jump, the more power in their legs.

■ Single broad jump: From a standstill, the athlete jumps as far forward as possible, taking off and landing with two feet. This is an important power test for all running-based sports, like rugby and athletics.

■ Standing triple jump: This test requires hopping like a rabbit: With both feet placed parallel, the athlete jumps forward three times. It is a test of general power and a good indicator of accelerati­on ability.

■ Cadence push-up test: Athletes do push-ups to a metronome (one second down, one second up) at a rate of 30 push-ups per minute.

When athletes break form or can’t keep up with the rhythm, they’re done. This measures upper body strength and endurance.

■ Arm leg bike: On a stationary bike with moving arms, athletes must hit set revolution­s-per-minute targets. The test ends when an athlete is too exhausted to hit the targets. This endurance test measures aerobic capacity and an athlete’s ability to maintain power, making it a particular­ly predictive test for rowing and paddling.

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