Sibling inspire Kenya hunt for world cross glory

 　　NAIROBI, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- It is not everyday that you will find sibling¹ battling each other in professional sports. But again, competition between brothers or sisters sometimes does not augur² well for team cohesion³.

　　The national cross country squad⁴ in Embu, however, is seeking to use the sibling rivalry⁵ to the advantage of the squad that is heading for Bydgoszcz, Poland for the World Cross Country Championships on March 24.

　　World Cross Country junior women champion Faith Chepng'etich was an early accomplishment⁶ and has curved a niche⁷ for herself in track and field, however her elder sister Beatrice Chepkemwoi is making her debut⁸ in the Kenya team, albeit⁹ in the senior cadre.

　　"I have new inspiration to help my sister. We both want to take medals home and my parents have told us to bring home medals. It will not be easy, but it feels good to have my sister with me in camp," said Chepng'etich, Tuesday in Embu.

　　They are not the only ones related in the Kenya cross country team camp. Former World junior cross country champion Mercy Cherono and her sister Caroline Chepkoech, winner at the Africa Cross country championships in Cape¹⁰ Town in 2011 will also be teaming up in the senior women's 8km race.

　　However, they are not the first to represent Kenya as a pair. Back in 2008 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Kenya had both then Africa champions in 5,000m and 10,000m Mathew Kisorio Some and his younger brother, Peter Kimeli Some.

　　Both are sons to legendary¹¹ Some Muge, the first Kenyan to win a bronze medal at the World Cross Country Championships back in 1983 in Madrid, Spain. Kisorio and Kimeli were in the junior men's 8km team and targeted gold and silver, but only Kisorio could get bronze.

　　The duo however, is a stark¹² contrast, save for their resemblance. The more talkative Kisorio said then that his younger brother is getting too close to him for comfort, and he is watchful¹³ lest he is overtaken.

　　Fast track to today, Kimeli has eclipsed Kisorio. He has won several road races in Europe, but his elder brother is serving a two-year ban after he was caught doping.

　　But for the challenge in Bydgoszcz, the sister sibling marks the first for the weaker sex to represent the country.

　　Chepng'etich, who is also the World Junior 1,500m champion, leads women's charges in bid to reclaim¹⁴ team title Kenya lost Punta Umbria, Spain in 2011 to perennial¹⁵ opponents Ethiopia.

　　At just 18 years, Chepng'etich seems to have been around for longer. She was to make her debut in 2009 in Amman, Jordan during the 37 edition of the World Cross Country Championships. However, the coaches dropped her because of her younger age (15).

　　She cried but got the consolation¹⁶ of new training kit¹⁷ from the head coach Julius Kirwa and the remaining has been a tale for the senior athletes as she has curved a niche in the sport winning at all levels of competition she has been involved in -- World Junior, World Youth, Africa and regional level.

　　But this year's race in Poland gives her a new inspiration because, though she is younger, her parents wants her to guide elder sister through the steps and see that they return to Nairobi with medals on March 26.

　　"I want to add another jewel on my track and cross-country collections and will be returning to the Polish City, where I finished fourth running barefoot in 2010," said Chepng'etich.

　　Chepng'etich, the Form Two Student at Winner's Girls High School in Keringet, was among young athletes feted at the centenary celebrations of the International Association of Athletics¹⁸ Federations¹⁹ (IAAF) in Barcelona, Spain, last year.

　　"This will be my last world cross country. The next in China in 2015, I will have graduated to the senior cadre. Therefore it is important to bow out on a winning note and I believe am ready for just that in Poland," she added.

　　Caroline Chepkoech and Mercy Cherono are also jostling for the lucrative²⁰ US Dollars 30,000 that is at stake for the winner in Bydgoszcz.

　　Together with another US Dollars 30,000 for team title should Kenya rule the roost, the pair will be heading home with enough to take up any project of their choice.

　　Unlike Faith, who is guiding her elder sister, younger Chepkoech wants to fit into her elder sister's (Mercy Cherono) shoes and make her name on her debut at the world cross-country championships.

　　Cherono, who is in the senior team, won the world cross-country junior title in Bydgoszcz in 2010. She missed out at the 2011 edition in Punta Umbria, the same year her younger sister announced her arrival at the international stage winning the Africa Championships.

　　"This is a serious championships, there will be stars from all over the world. I triumphed at the Africa level but the world stage is different. I only pray to God to guide me," said Chepkoech.

　　The Form Two Student at Ngariet Secondary School in Sotik added: "I have performed well at the Africa cross-country and I hope to extend it to world cross-country, where my sister (Mercy Cherono) won gold medal. The winter weather conditions are not a challenge to me."

　　Chepkoech, is the Africa junior 5,000m champion, will be keen to rectify²¹ mistakes that made her lose the 3,000m title at the World Youth Championships in Lille, France, in 2011. "I have now picked up enough experience and we only need team work to reclaim the team title," said Chepkoech.

　　They will join forces with world junior 5,000m bronze medallist Agnes Chebet, World Youth 1,500m finalist Sheila Chepng'etich, Roseline Chepng'etich, world junior 3,000m champion Mercy Chebwogen, Emily Chebet and winner in Bydgoszcz in 2010.

1 sibling   

n.同胞手足(指兄、弟、姐或妹)

参考例句：

• Many of us hate living in the shadows of a more successful sibling.我们很多人都讨厌活在更为成功的手足的阴影下。
• Sibling ravalry has been common in this family.这个家里，兄弟姊妹之间的矛盾很平常。

2 augur   

n.占卦师；v.占卦

参考例句：

• Does this news augur war?这消息预示将有战争吗？
• The signs augur well for tomorrow's weather.种种征候预示明天天气良好。

3 cohesion   

n.团结，凝结力

参考例句：

• I had to bring some cohesion into the company.我得使整个公司恢复凝聚力。
• The power of culture is deeply rooted in the vitality,creativity and cohesion of a nation. 文化的力量，深深熔铸在民族的生命力、创造力和凝聚力之中。

4 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

5 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

6 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

7 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

8 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

9 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

10 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

11 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

12 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

13 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

14 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

15 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

16 consolation   

n.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
• This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

17 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

18 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

19 federations   

n.联邦( federation的名词复数 )；同盟；联盟；联合会

参考例句：

• These problems are women's special problems and special work of women's federations. 这样的问题，就是妇女的特殊问题，就是妇联的特殊工作。 来自互联网
• The Bridge Federate is a feasible solution to achieve multi-federations interconnection. 基于桥接成员实现多联邦互连是目前较为通用和可行的方法。 来自互联网

20 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

21 rectify   

v.订正，矫正，改正

参考例句：

• The matter will rectify itself in a few days.那件事过几天就会变好。
• You can rectify this fault if you insert a slash.插人一条斜线便可以纠正此错误。