By TERRY JONES -- Edmonton Sun
 SYDNEY -- If you want to become an Olympian and really enjoy the experience, here's a tip. Pick swimming. Or water polo. Or triathlon.

 Those events are held early in the Games. Those athletes compete in the first days of the Olympics and then have the rest of the Games to savour the scene and party with the world.

 You don't want to be a track and field relay race runner. That's on the last day of the Olympics. It's a long wait to compete.

 IN FROM BRISBANE

 Candice Jones flew in here from the Canadian track and field training camp on the Gold Coast near Brisbane yesterday to attend the Canadian Olympic team reception and prepare to march in the opening ceremonies.

 She'll return to the Gold Coast and miss the first week of the Olympic experience.

 Jones, whose mother Merle, dad Ralph and brother Corey are en route from Edmonton, are going to see more of the Olympics than she is. But she's cool with that.

 '`Just to be able to come in here for these couple of days to be with all the athletes, spend a few nights in the village and march in the ceremonies is enough.

 '`I'm going to go back to training so excited. I can't imagine what a thrill it's going to be to march in the opening ceremonies. But I'm here to compete and I think it'll be good to experience all this and then leave all the hype behind.

 '`I also think it'll be good not to be living in the Athletes Village for 16 days. The food is amazing. I'm blown away by the sheer choice of what to eat.

 '`I heard that some athletes have put on 10 or 15 pounds during the Olympics. I couldn't believe an athlete could do that. But now I understand how it could happen. The food is incredible.''

 ATTENDED SCONA

 Jones, who attended Strathcona high school in Edmonton, is in the 4 x 400 relay, as she was at the Seville Worlds last year in Spain.

 '`Sport has given me the opportunity to travel to many places in the world I may not have otherwise visited,'' she said.

 '`It was a major stress making the Olympic team for me,'' she said.

 '`Now I'm surrounded by the best in the world. I think this environment will motivate and inspire me to go to the next level.''

 The next level is to compete in an individual event or two and get into the Games before the very last day.