Rohit Brijnath finds out why divers dry themselves before the next jump.

In Beijing

THE Olympics is entertainment but also an education.

Our preference for sport is often determined by the geographies we come from. Singaporeans are not passionate about fencing, Indians about judo, the French about hockey, nor the Americans about badminton. 

But the Olympics is not just a chance to see these sports at their best, but to learn about them.

Two days ago I discovered for the first time why divers dry themselves. So that their knees, for instance, don't slip when they clutch them while somersaulting. 

Yesterday, someone mentioned that rifle shooters wear vests weighing about 4.5kg - once filled with lead, now made of kevlar - to keep them still and balanced while shooting.

On the second day in Beijing, Ian Thorpe said something that only a swimmer might notice and a casual viewer might never think of. Asked what impressed him about Michael Phelps, he spoke not just about the American's position in the water but how the water sat around him.

Everyone is learning. A friend didn't know how to interpret the hand signals doubles players make to each other in tennis, and so we got Indian tennis player Leander Paes to explain the ones he uses.

When he's at the net, and his partner his serving, he signals behind his back. Middle finger down means a serve into the body; pinkie down means serve to the left, wide; forefinger down means serve down the T. And that's just from the deuce court. 

But there's still so much we don't know. 

Why do many swimmers stand sideways to the blocks before the start, and why is there a rule stipulating that female beach volleyballers can't wear bikinis bigger than a particular size?

Give me a week to find out.