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UNIT6SportingLife

ActiveReading1

MyDreamComesTrue

TherainhadstartedtofallgentlythroughtheeveningairasdarknessdescendedoverSydney.HundredsoflightsilluminatedStadiumAustralia,andthenoisewasdeafening.AsIwalkedtowardsthetrackIglancedaroundmeattheseaoffacesinthestands,butmymindwasfocused.TheOlympicgoldmedalwasjustminutesaway,hangingtantalisinglyinthedistance.

Myheartwasbeatingloudly,mymouthwasdryandtheadrenalinewaspumping.Iwassoclosetotherealisationofmychildhooddreamandthefeelingwasfantastic;itwascompletelyexhilarating,butalsoterrifying.IknewIwouldhavetopushmyselfbeyondmyknownlimitstoensurethatmydreamcametrue.

Itriedtokeepcomposed,tellingmyselfnottopanic,tosticktotheplanandrunmyownrace.IknewtheRussiangirlswouldsetoffquickly–andIhadtofinishthisracefewerthantensecondsbehindtheRussianathleteYelenaProkhorova.IfIcoulddothat,thetitlewouldbemine.

Ilookedoutalongthefirststretchofthe400mtrackandcaughtmybreath.The800mracehadpunishedmesomuchovertheyears–intheWorld,CommonwealthandEuropeanChampionships–andnowitstoodbetweenmeandtheOlympictitle.

TheBritishsupporterswerecheeringsoloudlyitseemedasiftheyweretheonlyfansthere.Icouldhearmynamebeingcalled.Icouldheartheshoutsofencouragementandthecriesofhope.UnionJacksflutteredallaroundthevast,beautifulstadium.Ifeltunifiedwiththecrowd–weallhadthesamevisionandthesamedream.

MyanklewasbandagedagainstaninjuryIhadincurredinthelongjumpjustacoupleofhoursearlier,butIshutoutallthoughtsofpain.Itriedtoconcentrateonthecrowd.Theyweresovocal.MyspiritsliftedandIfeltcomposed.

IknewIwoulddomybest,thatIwouldrunmyheartoutandfinishtherace.I

felttheperformerinmemoveinandtakeover.Ihadjusttwolapstorun,thatwasall.Justtwolapsuntiltheemotionalandphysicalstrainofthepasttwodaysandthelast28yearswouldbeeclipsedbyvictoryorfailure.Thisracewasallaboutsurvival.It'sonlytwominutes,Ikepttellingmyself,anyonecanrunfortwominutes.

Thestartinggunwasfired,andtheracebegan.Thefirstlapwasgood,Imanagedtokeepupwiththegroup,butIwasfeelingmuchmoretiredthanIusuallydid,andmuchmorethanI’danticipated.Boththelong,hardweeksoftrainingthathadleduptothischampionship,andtheexhaustionfromtwodaysofgruellingcompetitionwereshowinginmyperformance.Mentalandphysicalfatiguewerestartingtocrushme,andIhadtofightback.

Prokhorovahadsetthepacefromthestart.ItwasimportantthatIdidn’tlethergettoofarinfront.Ihadtostaywithher.AtthebellIwas2.3secondsbehindher.Justonelaptogo.Onelap.Icoulddoit.Ihadtokeepgoing.Inthefinal150metresIcouldheartheroarofthecrowd,givingmeaboostatexactlythemomentIneededitthemost–justwhenmylegswereburningandIcouldseethegapopeningbetweenmeandtheRussian.Thankfully,myfootwasholdingout,sonowitwasalldowntomentalstamina.

Prokhorovawaspullingaway.Icouldn’tlethergettoofar;Ihadtostaywithher.IbegancountingdownthemetresIhadlefttorun:60m,50m,40m,20m.Icouldseetheclock.Icoulddoit,butitwouldbeclose.Thenfinallythelineappeared.Icrossedit,exhausted.Ihadfinished.

AsIcrossedthelinemyinitialthoughtwashowmuchhardertheracehadbeenthanexpected,bearinginmindhow,onlyeightweeksbefore,Ihadsetanewpersonalbestoftwominutes12.2seconds.Thenmymindturnedtotheresult.HadIdoneit?IthoughtIhad.Iwasawareofwheretheotherathleteswere,andwassurethatI’djustmadeit.But,untilIsawitonthescoreboard,Iwouldn’tletmyselfbelieveit.AsIstoodthere,staringupandwaitingforconfirmation,Itriedhardtokeepnegativethoughtsfrommymind–butIcouldn’thelpthinking,whatifIhavejustmissed

out?WhatifI’vebeenthroughallthis,andmissedout?

InthedistanceIcouldhearthecommentaryteamtalkingabouttwodaysoftough

competition,thenIcouldalmosthearsomeonesay,"Ithinkshe'sdoneenough."ThenextthingIknew,SabineBraunofGermanycameoverandtoldmeI'dwon.Theyhadheardbeforeme,andsheaskedwhatitfeltliketobetheOlympicchampion.Ismiled,stillnotsure.

Then,themomentthatwillstaywithmefortherestofmylife–mynamein

lights.Thatwaswhenitallhitme.Relief,amomentofcalm,andathankyoutomyinnerselffortakingmethroughthesetwodays.Ifeltatinglethroughthewholeofmybody.Thiswashowitismeanttobe–armsaloftandfistsclenched.

Ilookedoutatthefans,whowerewavingflags,clappingandshoutingwith

delight.IwastheOlympicchampion.TheOlympicchampion.

ActiveReading2

BlowingtheWhistleonSoccer

AFrenchfriendofminegotabiglaughatadinnerpartyrecentlywithhisaccountofthegameofbaseball:"Sevenguysstandaroundinafielddoingnothingwhiletwooftheirteammatesthrowtheballbackandforth."

Iunderstand–it'shardtogetexcitedaboutaforeignsportifyoudidn'tgrow

upwithit.NowI'mcollidingwiththissameculturalbarrier.TheWorldCupsoccertournamentbeginsonJune9andIwillhavenocluewhat'sgoingonoutthereonthe"pitch".Itseemsagoodtimetoblowthewhistleontheso-calledbeautifulgame.

IhavebeenwatchingsoccerforyearsandallIcanseeonthefieldis22grownmeninshortsrunningaroundmadlytryingtokicktheballandtrippingovereachother.Iguesstheobjectistogettheballintothenet(alsoknownasthegoal),butifitevergetscloseitlookslikeanaccident.

Whatwehavehere,itwouldseem,isagameofchance.

Foranhourandahalf,thefieldisasceneofsheerchaosastheballsailsbackandforthandthefanshumsomemournfultunereminiscentof"TheSlaves'Chorus"fromNabucco.Neitherteamseemstobeincontrol.

Thescoringsystemsaysitall.Mostfinalsare0–0,1–0or2–1,indicating

thatgamestendtobestandoffsandit'samatteroflucktobeaheadwhentimerunsout.Toputagoodfaceonit,theycallthistensionorsuspense.

Newcomerstosoccer–mostlyAmericans–mightwonderhowmanyways

pointscanbescored.Besideskickingtheballitispermittedtowhackitinmid-airwithyourhead,whichisnotthebestuseofthecranium,asdoctorswilltellyou.

Tobehonest,though,manygoalsarescoredbytheballaccidentallybouncingoffrandomplayerswhogetintheway.Thecrowdlovesthese,especiallywhenadefender'slegsendstheball–bychance,ofcourse–intohisownnet.

Goalsarethebestillustrationofthechancenatureofthisgame.Ninetypercent

ofgoalshots(knownas"chances"or,inhopelesscases,"halfchances",orinFrance,opportunités)areeitherblockedoraresofaroffcoursethattheysoardeepintothe

stands.

Iftheballhappenstobeaimedaboutrightandslipsthroughtheforestofhairylegs,it'ssheerluck.Theshooter,or"striker",thentakesfullcreditforthisaccident,peelsoffhisshirtandsprintsaroundincirclesasfourorfivefellowplayersjumponhisbacktotrytostophimandgethisshirtbackon.

Thechaosresumes,thehumminginthestandsstartsupagain,andtheclockslowlyticksawaytoward90longminutes.

Unlikebaseballorbasketball,precisionball-handlingisnotatoppriorityinsoccerexceptperhapsforThierryHenryandacoupleofBrazilians.Let'sfaceit,Godnevermeantformostofustocontrolaballwiththefeetwhilerunningattopspeed.

Periodicallyaplayergetsanelbowinthefaceandgoesdownwrithing.Theclockstopswhilelittlemenwithblackbagsrushoverandmassagehisphony-baloneyinjury,afterwhichhejumpsupgoodasnew.Theplayerwhoelbowedhimgetssomethingcalleda"yellowcard",amildreprimand.

Howcanyouhaveasportinwhichstrategiesandregulationsaresoobscure?Besidesthemysteryof“injurytime”,thereissomethingcalledthe"offsiderule",whichdeems,roughly,thatthestrikercannotreceivetheballunlessatleasttwoopposingplayersareaheadofhim.Whynot?Thisleaveseveryoneperplexed.

Nottoworry–evenprofessionalcommentatorsareatalossforwords.The

BBC’svoiceofsoccer,JohnMotson,notesthatthereisno"universalinterpretation"oftheoffsiderule.Imaginerealfootballwithnoagreementonwhat"touchdown"means.

Whydoesyourtypicalsoccermatchseemsooutofcontrol?Simple.Onlyonerefereeisonthefield,andheisresponsibleforkeeping22hopped-upathletesinline.Heallowsnobacktalk(forthis,yougeta“redcard”andashower)butmostoftheinfractions–pushing,punching,tripping,kneeing,handballing–arecommittedwhenheisn'tlooking.Butthefansseethem,settingoffmoremoansinthestands.

Themysteryremainswhysomanypeopleflocktoseethisgame.Imustbemissingsomething.

ReadingAcrossCultures

GamesPeopleplayintheUS

InAmericadifferentsportsattracteddifferentpeople.Noteveryonelikesthesamesports,andmostpeoplewouldagreethatthereisn'tasinglenationalsport,butthree:baseball,footballandbasketball.

Baseball,asaspectatorsport,isatrulyrelaxedandleisurelyactivity.It'snotanintensegamefullofaction,butonewhichwasborninaslowermorepeacefulage.Forafewhoursitcanseemthatthemostimportantthinginafan’slifeistowatchtheplayersdiscusstheirtactics,springtolifewithsuddenburstsofactivity,andthenreturntoastateofplay,whichuseslessenergy.

Footballhasamorecontemporaryappeal.Asamoreviolentgame,it