Olympic Competition
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 390.
Text 6 C
Each national committee provides uniforms for its country's athletes while they prepare for and compete in the games and furnishes transportation for its team to the games and back. The host country provides food and housing for all the athletes. Most countries use government funds to pay the expenses.
Every country represented in the Olympics has a National Olympic Committee that selects the athletes who compete in the Games. An athlete who represents a country at the Olympics must be a citizen of that country. Until 1988, only amateur athletes competed in the Games. Professional athletes are now eligible to compete in basketball, ice hockey, football, and tennis. In addition the IOC voted in 1974 to allow national Olympic committees to pay athletes during an unlimited training period before the Olympic Games. Each athlete may receive expense money, plus the equivalent of the salary that he or she would earn by working instead of training.
In many countries athletes qualify for the Olympics by winning or finishing high in competitions called selection trials. In some Olympic sports a nation may enter as many as three athletes in each individual event and one team in each team event.
Up to 12 teams can compete in each men's team sport, except football, which involves 16 teams. No more then 20 teams take part in each team sport that has competition for both men and women. If more than the maximum number of nations want to compete in a sport a qualifying tournament is held before the Olympics.
Several methods of judging are used in various Olympic events. For example, the eight fastest athletes qualify for the finals in most swimming and athletics events. The medals in diving, figure skating, and gymnastics are awarded on the basis of points given by judges, etc.
The top three athletes in each Olympic event receive a medal and a diploma. The next five receive only a diploma. The first- and second-place medals are made of silver, but the first-place medal has a gold coating. The third-place medal is made of bronze. All the members of a winning relay team get a medal. In team sports all the members who have played in at least one of their team's games receive one.
Olympic competition is intended to test the skill and strength of individuals, not nations. Therefore the IOC does not keep an official score among the competing countries. No nation "wins" the Olympics.
Vocabulary and Speech Exercises
Ex. 1. Memorize the following word combinations to be able to describe the responsibilities of a National Olympic Committee:
1. to provide uniform -обепечить спортивной формой
2. to provide food -обепечить питание
3. to provide housing -обепечить проживание
4. to furnish transportation -предоставить транспорт
5. to pay expenses -оплачивать расходы
6. to select athletes -проводить отбор спортсменов
7. to enter an athlete (a team) -заявлять спортсмена (команду) для участия в
соревновании.
Ex. 2. Describe the activities of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus. Refer to Unit 3 if necessary.
Ex. 3. Say, what is the most important sentence expressing the main idea of the text. Give your comments
Task 9.Learn the following sports management terms you will need to understand Text 6 D:
1. governing body -руководящий орган
2. executive board -исполком
3. approve v -утверждать
4. mayor n -мэр города
5. conduct v -проводить
6. appoint v -назначать
7. current member -действительный член МОК
8. representative n -представитель
Task 10. Read the text to find answers to the questions given before each paragraph.
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