It is the world's fastest racquet sport, with speeds up to 250 miles per hour off the racquet.And it may be one of the most misunderstood.Badminton — that staple of backyard picnics and summer camp — becomes, at the expert level, a sport that requires lightning-quick reflexes, explosive power, stamina and agility.This year, the U.S. is sending its biggest badminton team ever to the Olympics.Seven U.S. athletes will compete in singles and doubles play, with hopes of breaking a U.S. medal drought in a sport dominated by Asian players, with a few Europeans in the mix as well. Badminton is one of just a few sports in which the U.S. has never medaled.Howard Shu of Anaheim, Calif., 25, will be the sole U.S. men's singles player. Shu, currently ranked 67th in the world, started playing badminton when he was 8, and has spent the last 17 years perfecting his game.For the last few years, that's meant going to train in Taiwan, where the quality and variety of players is higher than in the U.S.In
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