sport

the olyMPic gAMes Tragedy struck the Olympics Mark Spitz winning a record during the Munich games in seven medals, in 1972, and in Memorable 1972. Eleven members of the 1976 Romanian gymnast Nadia Israeli Olympic team were Comaneci becoming the first kidnapped and killed by gymnast to receive a perfect moments or Palestinian terrorists. ten score from the judges . The Cold War also interfered In the 1990s, professional with the Olympics. In 1980, athletes were allowed to the US boycotted the games compete for the first time, a political tool? held in Moscow to protest resulting in the legendary

Mark Spitz winning a record seven medals, in 1972, and in 1976 Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci becoming the first gymnast to receive a perfect ten score from the judges .

The Cold War also interfered with the Olympics. In 1980, the US boycotted the games held in Moscow to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and in response, the USSR boycotted the 1984 games in Los Angeles.

In the 1990s, professional athletes were allowed to compete for the first time, resulting in the legendary Dream Team , the American basketball team that featured players such as Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.

this August the city of Beijing, chinA, will host the 29th suMMer olyMPics. through the yeArs the olyMPics hAve not AlwAys Met the goAl of Being PeAceful And APoliticAl, But they hAve BecoMe A PArt of our world culture, And hAve given us MAny thrilling And unforgettABle MoMents.

the 2008 gAMes

MAgic MoMents

Over the years there have been many performances that have thrilled the world. The 1924 games inspired the 1981 UK Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire , about two British athletes.

Beijing was a controversial choice for the 2008 games, as China has a very poor record on human rights and conservation . No states have said they would boycott the games, but there have been protests by various human-rights organizations. Another problem is the air pollution in Bejing, where levels are not considered safe.

Ancient origins

time the biggest sporting event ever held.

The 1952 Olympics in Melbourne brought Emil Zátopek to the world stage . This Czech long distance runner won gold medals in the 10,000 and 5,000 metre races, and the marathon. Incredibly , it was the first time Zátopek had ever run a marathon.

It is difficult to separate myth from reality, but it is thought the first Olympics were held in 776 B.C. From that point on, the games were held every four years, and became such a regular event that people of the time used them to mark epochs in history . The original games finally came to an end in A.D. 393, when they were banned by Emperor Theodosius I. Theodosius was a Christian and disliked the games’ pagan origins .

In 1913, the now-famous emblem of five colored rings against a white background was adopted. The logo was designed by Baron de Coubertin, with the rings representing the five continents of the competing nations. The 1928 games in Amsterdam marked the first time women were allowed to compete.

So, should China host the Olympics at all? And will the 2008 games be remembered for amazing athletics triumphs or for risk and danger? patrick phillips (USA)

Other great performances include American swimmer

Nowadays, the games are usually watched on television by nearly four billion people. The broadcasting of the Olympics has given the world many shared memories of great performances. But it has also given much more power to nations which wish to use the games as a tool for politics and propaganda.

brought… to the world stage [steIdZ] - uvedla… na světovou scénu incredibly [In”krEdIbli] - ačkoli je to k neuvěření to receive a perfect ten score from the judges [skO: dZVdZIz] - která dostala od rozhodčích nejvyšší, desetibodové ohodnocení that featured [“fi:tS@d] - ve kterém hráli has a very poor record on… conservation [kQns@“veIS(@)n] - má velmi špatnou pověst, co se týče… ochrany životního prostředí

Y Vocabulary

apolitical [eIp@“lItIk(@)l] - apolitický, nepolitický thrilling and memorable [ TrIlIN “mEm(@)r@b(@)l] - vzrušujících a nezapomenutelných

Modern tiMes

Ironically, it took a war to bring about the beginnings of the modern Olympics . A Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, tried to find the reason his nation was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War (1870 - 71). His conclusion was that the Prussian soldiers were in much better physical condition than the French. Coubertin thought a regular meeting of nations to compete in athletics would help prevent war, and, if another war did come, the games would also make his countrymen more fit to fight. Other Europeans liked the idea, and in 1896 the first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece. The games were a huge success, and with 250 athletes representing 14 countries, it was up to that

to mark epochs in history [mA:k “i:pQks] - k označování historických období to ban [b&n] - zakázat emperor [“Emp(@)r@] - císař pagan origins [“peIg(@)n “QrIdZInz]

Politics

• pohanský původ it took a war to bring about the beginnings of… Olympics - počátky… Olympiády vděčí za svůj vznik válce conclusion [k@n”klu:Z(@)n] - závěr

SummeR Olympic diSciplineS weightlifting [“weItlIftIN] - vzpírání the starting gun goes off - kdy vystřelí startérská pistole burst [b@:st] - nával, výbuch relay race [“ri:leI reIs] - štafeta baton [“b&t(@)n] - štafetový kolík teammate [“ti:mmeIt] - člen týmu handoff [“h&ndQf] - předání tricky [“trIki] - obtížný shot put - vrh koulí hurdle [“h@:d(@)l] - překážka discus [“dIsk@s] - hod diskem pole vault [p@Ul vO:lt] - skok o tyči javelin [“dZ&v(@)lIn] - hod oštěpem bar [bA:] - tyč a long pole to vault over a bar - dlouhou tyč, aby se přehoupli přes tyč hammer throw [“h&m@] - hod kladivem

It has always been difficult to keep politics out of the Olympics. Since the very beginning, many nations and individuals have tried to use the Olympics to highlight their political agenda.

(úsudek) to prevent (sth.) [prI”vEnt] - předcházet (něčemu) up to that time - do té doby broadcasting [“brO:dkA:stIN] - vysílání to keep politics out of - udržet politiku mimo to highlight (sth.) [“haIlaIt] - poukázat na (něco) to promote [pr@“m@Ut] - prosazovat

One of these was Hitler’s use of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin to promote the Third Reich . Unfortunately for Hitler and his ideas of racial superiority , many black athletes won medals, including the great Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals for the United States.

Third Reich [raIk] - Třetí říše

• racial superiority [“reIS(@)l

su:%pI@rI”QrIti] - rasová nadřazenost

• to kidnap [“kIdn&p] - unést

• to interfere with [Int@“fI@] - zasáhnout do

• to boycot [“bOIkQt] - bojkotovat

32 Bridge 06/2007–2008

patrick phillips (USA)

summer olympic

disciplines

there Are 28 sPorts rePresented in the 2008 olyMPics, eAch including vArious disciPlines. in totAl, there will Be over 300 events (coMPetitions in which MedAls Are AwArded).

PArticiPAnts will coMPete in swiMMing, diving, cycling, Boxing, cAnoeing, BAseBAll, BAsketBAll, footBAll, gyMnAstics, judo, tennis, shooting, weightlifting And MAny More sPorts. one of the Most PoPulAr suMMer olyMPics sPorts is Athletics – And here Are A few of the Most wAtched Athletic disciPlines:

100 meters is the shortest sprint in outdoor athletics. From the moment the starting gun goes off , participants give everything they have in a burst of speed. Ten seconds later it is over, and the sprinters wait another four years to do it again.

In the high jump participants try to make the highest jump over a bar . Both the men’s and women’s high jump are very popular, and this is one of the most exciting disciplines in athletics.

In relay races , each

member of the four‑person team must run either 100 or 400 meters. When the runner finishes, he must hand a baton to his teammate who then continues. The handoff of the baton is very tricky , and must be timed perfectly.

The pole vault can be thought of as extreme high jumping. Athletes use a long pole to vault over a bar , and the one who jumps the highest without knocking down the bar wins.

The decathlon is the most prestigious of all athletic disciplines. It

consists of ten events (100m, long jump, shot put , high jump, 400m, 110m hurdles , discus , pole vault , javelin , and 1500m) and takes place over two days. The greatest decathlete of all time is the Czech Republic’s Roman Šebrle.

The 110 meter hurdles is another sprint, but the big difference is participants must jump over hurdles on their way to the finish line. Women run 100 meter hurdles.

The marathon is the longest race in athletics. Participants must run a road race 42.195 km long. They start and finish in the Olympic stadium. This is traditionally the final athletics event of the Olympics, and usually takes place on the last day of the competition.

Discus, javelin, shot put, hammer throw : The goal of the four throwing disciplines is similar – throw something farther than anyone else. The discus, similar to a frisbee (flying disc), and the javelin can both be thrown great distances. The shot (a metal ball) and the hammer are very heavy, and so the distances they can be thrown are much shorter.

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