Upset Victory for Canadian Ice Dancing Pair

Broadcast: Mar¹ 29, 2003

 

There has been an upset win for Canada at the World Figure Skating championships here in Washington. The ice dancing couple of Shae Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz edged Russia's Irina Lobacheyva and Ilia Averbukh in the final free dance program.

The Russian couple of Irina Lobacheyva and Ilia Averbukh was leading the ice dancing competition coming into Friday night's free dance.

But Shae Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz were in second place, and in their final World Championship, they passed the Russians, and took home the gold medal that had ¹⁾eluded them for so many years.

Skating to the "Adagio² of the 21st Century," Bourne and Kraatz earned marks of 5.7 to 5.8 for technical merit³, and 5.8 and 5.9 out of six for presentation. Afterwards, Bourne said she could hardly believe they had captured the title. "It felt great, just to skate the way we did all week," she said. "I was just so excited, how we performed, and then to get those marks to win, it's just ²⁾overwhelming. It's a wonderful feeling. We have been together for so long, and tried very hard, and never gave up, and we got the gold. So, it's pretty unbelievable."

Lobacheyva and Averbukh skated to a rock-n-roll medley⁵, and took the silver medal. The bronze went to Bulgaria's Albena Denkova and Maxim⁶ Staviyski. Afterward⁴, Averbukh of Russia speak to his friend later said he did not think the Canadian team deserved the gold medal. "I am not happy with the result, obviously," she said. "I think, it was a political decision today, and I think it was like a reward, the medal was like a reward for the Canadian couple for a long career."

This is the second year in a row that Averbukh and Lobacheyva have finished second in a major competition. They were won the silver medal behind Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat of France at last year's Salt Lake City Olympics.

The final event of the world championships, the women's long program, is Saturday. American Michelle Kwan is hoping to win a 5th world title.

In Washington, I'm David Byrd. VOA sports.

 

1)    elude[i5lju:d]v.躲避

2)    overwhelming[7EuvE5welmiN]adj. 压倒性的, 无法抵抗的

 

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 adagio   

adj.缓慢的；n.柔板；慢板；adv.缓慢地

参考例句：

• The tempo marking in most cases is andante,adagio,or largo.大多数第一乐章的速度标记是行板、柔板或广板。
• Play the adagio since that's the only goddamned thing you know.就弹那首慢板吧，那是你唯一会弹的鬼曲子。

3 merit   

n.优点，价值，功绩，成绩；vt.值得

参考例句：

• There is great merit in dealing fairly with your employees.公正地对待你的雇员有极大好处。
• History affords us lessons that merit attention.历史给我们提供了值得注意的借鉴。

4 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

5 medley   

n.混合

参考例句：

• Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
• China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

6 maxim   

n.格言，箴言

参考例句：

• Please lay the maxim to your heart.请把此格言记在心里。
• "Waste not,want not" is her favourite maxim.“不浪费则不匮乏”是她喜爱的格言。