2007年VOA标准英语-Kenya Enjoys Golden Night at World Athletics

By David Byrd
Osaka, Japan
28 August 2007

Kenyan athletes have won four medals, including two golds, on the fourth day of the World Athletics¹ Championships in Osaka, Japan.  As VOA's David Byrd reports, the Kenyans won gold in both men's and women's races.

Kenya has traditionally dominated men's steeplechase, and Tuesday was no exception.  Kenyans swept the medals with Olympic silver medalist Brimin Kiprop Kipruto taking gold in eight minutes, 13.82 seconds. 

Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi was second, more than three seconds back (8:16.94), with Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong taking bronze (8:17.59).

Kenya's gold medal winner Janeth Jepkosgei celebrates during the Women's 800m at the World Athletics Championships, 28 Aug. 2007

Meanwhile, Kenya's Janeth Jepkosgei won gold in the women's 800 meters with a time of 1:56.04.  Hasna Benhassi of Morocco took silver (1:56.99). Mayte Martinez of Spain won bronze (1:57.62). Jepkosgei said she knew she could not let up until she had the gold.

"I know that this is for a championship," she said.  "There's no pacemaker and anybody can take it. If the pace is slow it is for everybody. And my pace is always high after I decided² to go for it."

In the men's discus, Estonian Gerd Kanter, the 2005 world silver medalist, won gold with a toss of 68.94 meters.  German Robert Harting took silver (66.68) with Rutger Smith of the Netherlands winning bronze (66.42).  Kanter, who has the longest throw this year (72.02) said he could have done better, but he is happy to be champion.

"I was just trying to hit a good throw," he said.  "And I did not really succeed like I was capable of, but still like two times close to 69 meters is pretty good." 

Russians swept the women's long jump, with 2004 Olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva winning gold with a leap of seven meters, three centimeters. European champion Lyudmila Kolchanova won silver (6.92). The three-time world silver medalist Tatyana Kotova won bronze (6.90).

In the men's 400-meters hurdles³, American Kerron Clement⁴, 21, won gold in 47.61 seconds. Former champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic won silver (48.01).  Poland's Marek Plawgo won the bronze (48.12).

Clement, who finished fourth in Helsinki two years ago, said he was determined⁵ to win this year.

"You know in 2005 I left here [the world championships] without a medal," he said.  "And I just came out here and just fight to the end and that's what I really wanted, the gold medal."  

In the women's pole vault⁶, Russian Yelena Isinbayeva won the gold, but missed her attempts to break the world record of five meters, one centimeter.

Isinbayeva, the world record holder⁷, cleared four meters, 80 centimeters.  Katerina Badurova of the Czech Republic won the silver (4.75 meters) while Svetlana Feofanova of Russia took the bronze.

After four days, the United States leads the medals table with three gold medals and a total of eight. Russia is second with seven medals, including three golds.  Kenya is third also with three gold medals.

1 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。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

4 clement   

adj.仁慈的；温和的

参考例句：

• A clement judge reduced his sentence.一位仁慈的法官为他减了刑。
• The planet's history contains many less stable and clement eras than the holocene.地球的历史包含着许多不如全新世稳定与温和的地质时期。

5 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

6 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

7 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。