VOA标准英语2008年-African Athletes Win 40 Olympic Medals

African runners swept the Men's Marathon race Sunday on the last day of the 29th Olympic Games in China. In all, athletes from more than a dozen African countries won medals in events ranging from running and football to swimming and kayaking. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from Beijing.
　
Kenya's Samuel Kamau Wansiru, second from right, competes in the men's marathon during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 24 Aug 2008

Kenya's Samuel Wansiru and Morocco's Jaouad Gharib Sunday broke the 24-year-old Olympic record in the Men's Marathon race while Ethiopia's Tsegay Kebede came in third.

Kenya was one of the most successful African teams, winning five gold medals and 14 medals in all. Kenya excelled in long distance running events but also took gold and silver in the women's 800 meters.

The head of the Kenyan Committee in Beijing, David Okeyo, noted¹ that the team performed much better than at the previous Olympics in Athens, Greece and said this was due to its training program for young athletes.

"Our youth program has really increased and it's really helping². It's a very good buildup toward these kinds of Games and the Championships," said Okeyo.

Kenya is to host the Africa Championship games in two years in Nairobi. Okeyo says in anticipation³, Kenya is working hard on the sprints⁴ and field events.

Ethiopia also did well in the long distance races. It won four gold medals, in the men's and the women's 5,000- and 10,000-meters, and bronze in the men's marathon on Sunday.

Nigeria won the silver medal in men's football, or soccer, losing to Argentina one-nil, in a tough match Saturday in Beijing.

Nigeria team spokesman Tony Nezianya said Nigeria also expected to do better in athletics⁵, especially the relay events.

"We had expected that we would have performed much, much better than we have done but on the whole we are not totally disappointed," said Nezianya.

He noted that the football team was undefeated until the final game. And he expressed pleasure over Nigeria's bronze medals in the women's long jump and four-by-100-meter relay.

Zimbabwe took one gold and three bronze medals in women's swimming, all by Kirsty Coventry in the 100- and 200-meter events. Team leader Thabani Gonye called it a major accomplishment⁷ given the small size of the Zimbabwean team.

"We only brought a team of 13 athletes, for swimming, track and field, cycling, rowing and tennis," said Gonye. "So when we look in terms of people that we have brought we feel as a nation we put up a fairly commendable⁸ performance."

He added that two younger members placed fourth in the men's long jump and 200-meter race and said he expected further improvements as the younger athletes mature.

Other gold medal winners included Cameroon, in the women's triple jump, and Tunisia, in the men's 1500-meter swimming (freestyle) race.

Besides Morocco's second-place finish in the men's marathon, South Africa won a silver medal in the men's long jump. Sudan took silver in the men's 800-meter race. And Algeria took silver in men's Judo⁹.

Bronze medal-winners included Algeria in women's Judo, Egypt in men's Judo, Morocco in the women's 800-meter race, Mauritius in boxing and Togo in kayaking.

Kenya's Okeyo, like most of the participants, praised China for its organization of the Games.

"It's one of the best organized Olympic Games that I have attended in terms of accommodation, in terms of transportation and in terms of hospitality in general. I think they have done a good job. Facilities were first class," added Okeyo.

They said Britain's organizing committee will be hard-pressed to equal the Chinese feat⁶ at the next Olympic Games in London in four years.

 

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

4 sprints   

n.短距离的全速奔跑( sprint的名词复数 )v.短距离疾跑( sprint的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• You can run sprints only so long before you're out of breath. 你死命地跑，只能跑那么一段时间，到了喘不上气的时候，只好停下来。 来自辞典例句
• The cheetah finds the open grasslands ideal footing for its lightning-quick sprints. 非洲猎豹把开阔的草原作为它们闪电猎食的理想处所。 来自互联网

5 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。

6 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

7 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。

8 commendable   

adj.值得称赞的

参考例句：

• The government's action here is highly commendable.政府这样的行动值得高度赞扬。
• Such carping is not commendable.这样吹毛求疵真不大好。

9 judo   

n.柔道

参考例句：

• The judo is a kind of fighting sport.柔道是一种对抗性体育活动。
• Which is more important in judo, strength or techniques?柔道运动中，力量和技术哪个更重要？