2007年VOA标准英语-US Reaps Golden Harvest at World Athletics

By David Byrd
Osaka, Japan
01 September 2007

The United States has won the gold medals in the men's and women's relay¹ while an American took the pole vault² title at the World Athletics³ Championships in Osaka, Japan. VOA's David Byrd was trackside and has this report on the action.

Gay4 displays his gold medal during the medal ceremony for the Men's 200m at the World Athletics Championships, 31 Aug. 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070907/0958010.jpg" width="168" vspace="2" border="0" />

United States' Tyson Gay displays his gold medal during the medal ceremony for the Men's 200m at the World Athletics Championships, 31 Aug. 2007

Tyson Gay of the United States won his third world championship gold medal this week.  Gay, who won the men's 100-meter and 200-meters titles, was the third runner in the U.S. 4x100 men's relay.

Along with teammates Wallace Spearmon, Darvis Patton and Leroy Dixon, Gay won gold in a world-leading time of 37.78 seconds.  Gay said after the race that he did not come to Osaka to win three medals, but he is glad to have them.  

"I think this was the most fun medal I got since I got to get this medal with these teammates of mine," he said.  "A lot of people were saying they think I need to be on anchor⁵. I thought that after the prelims, but when the coaching staff said that, if I ran the third leg and gave them the lead, then we would have no problem. And that's what really meant a lot to me because they believed in us."

Jamaica's team won the silver medal (37.89) and Britain won the bronze (37.90). 

Allyson Felix of the US celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Women's 200m during the World Athletics Championships, 31 Aug. 2007

Also Saturday, the U.S. women's team of Lauryn Williams, Allyson Felix, Miki Barber⁶ and Torri Edwards won the 4x100 meters gold in 41.98 seconds. Williams said after the race that the U.S. women jelled at just the right time.

"We had great chemistry out there tonight, great chemistry overall⁷ in relay camp," she said.  "I did not see any reason we should come out here and not get a gold medal because we worked really hard and we had good chemistry."

Jamaica won the silver (42.01) and Belgium won the bronze (42.75).

American Brad Walker won his country's first pole vault world championship by clearing 5.86 meters on his first attempt.

Romain Mesnil of France won the silver (5.86 meters in two attempts).  Danny Ecker of Germany won the bronze, (5.81 meters).

World record holder⁸ Roman Seberle of the Czech Republic won the decathlon with a total of 8,676 points. Jamaica's Maurice Smith won the silver (8,644) and Dmitriy Karpov of Kazakhstan won the bronze (8,586).

In the women's 5,000-meters race, world record holder Meseret Defar of Ethiopia won her first world first championship in 14 minutes, 57.91 seconds. 

After the race, Defar told VOA Sports that her victory is something she has waited for and worked for.

"I participated two times in Paris and in Helsinki," she said.  "In Paris, I was disqualified and in Helsinki I am number two.  In Osaka, I am champion and I am very happy."

Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot won the silver medal, .59 of one second back.  Her compatriot Priscah Jepleting Cherono won the bronze medal (14:59.21).

In the men's 50-kilometer race walk, Australia's Nathan Deakes won his first world championship.  Deakes, the world record holder, finished in a season's best time of three hours, 43 minutes, 53 seconds. 

Yohan Diniz of France won the silver medal (3:44:22).  Alex Schwazer of Italy, the 2005 bronze medalist, also won bronze in Osaka (3:44:38).

With one day left in the competition, the United States leads the medals table, with 22 medals including 11 golds.  Russia is second with 13 medals total, including four gold. Kenya is third with 10 medals including three golds.

1 relay   

n.接力赛，中继转播（设备）；vt.转述，转播

参考例句：

• They will relay your message.他们会转达你的口信。
• This metal tower is used to relay television signals to distant villages.这个金属塔是用于向遥远的村子转播电视讯号的。

2 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。

3 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。

4 gay   

adj.同性恋的；色彩鲜艳的；n.(男)同性恋者

参考例句：

• I don't know he was a gay person.我不知道他是同性恋者。
• Spring comes round to the earth again and everything looks fresh and gay.春回大地，万象更新。

5 anchor   

n./v.锚；危难时可依靠的人或物；用锚泊船

参考例句：

• Letters from home were an anchor to him when he worked abroad.他在国外工作时，家书是他的精神支柱。
• The ship dragged her anchor during the storm. 船在暴风雨中拖动了锚链。

6 barber   

n.理发员，美容师

参考例句：

• She asked the barber to crop her hair short.她叫理发师把她的头发剪短了。
• My Mum took me to the barber's.我妈带我理发去了。

7 overall   

n.工作服，工装裤；全面的，全体的

参考例句：

• The shop assistant was wearing a white overall.那店员穿着白色的工作服。
• How much will it cost overall?一共多少钱？

8 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。