VOA标准英语2010年-Federer, Bolt in Running for Sportsman

Roger Federer of Switzerland during an Australian Open press conference in Melbourne, 31 Jan. 2010

Swiss Tennis champion Roger Federer and Jamaican sprinter¹ Usain Bolt are among the contenders for the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards, which will be handed out in the United Arab Emirates next month.

Six athletes have been officially nominated for this year's Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award.

In addition to Bolt, who claimed the title last year and Federer, who has won it four times in the past, Ethiopian track star Kenesisa Bekele, Spanish cycling champion Alberto Contador, Argentinian football (soccer) hero Lionel Messi and motor cycling's Valentino Rossi of Italy are also in the running.

The Laureus awards are widely regarded as the premier² honors on the international sporting calendar and nominees³ are selected by leading sports journalists in over 100 countries.

The winners will be chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, a group of nearly 50 living sporting legends, at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi on March 10.

Indian cricket star Kapil Dev is a member of the group and says the selection process is always tough.

"All the academy members find it difficult to pick one sports person who is the best," he said.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt (File)

Fellow selector and track legend Edwin Moses says it will be difficult for Usain Bolt to win the title for a second consecutive⁴ year.

"I think it's going to be tough because of some of the other performances of last year, particularly Roger Federer," he said. "No one thought he would have the year that he had last year."

In addition to naming the top male athlete of the year, Laureus will also be crowning the best sportswoman.

Leading the list of nominees are the world's number one tennis player Serena Williams and skiing champion Lindsey Vonn.

There's also a Team of the Year award. The New York Yankees baseball team, the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and FC Barcelona football (soccer) team are all in contention⁵.
 

1 sprinter   

n.短跑运动员，短距离全速奔跑者

参考例句：

• He is more a sprinter than a swimmer. 他是短跑健将，而不是游泳选手。 来自辞典例句
• The sprinter himself thinks he can run the race at 9.4 seconds. 这位短跑运动员自认为可以用9.4秒跑完比赛。 来自互联网

2 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

3 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

4 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

5 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。