VOA标准英语2012--Disabled Cyclists Set Sights on London Paralympics

Disabled Cyclists Set Sights on London Paralympics

These athletes are at the top of their game. They faced off in Los Angeles in February for the Paracycling Track World Championships.

Craig Griffin, training director for the U.S. paracycling team, said most of these competitors have moved beyond their disabilities.

“They cope every day with everything that we do on a day-to-day basis and they do very well at it. So they've learned to adapt to opening a bag of potato chips, to hopping¹ into a car, dealing² with ill-fitting prosthetics,” said Griffin.

More than 200 athletes from 33 countries competed in Los Angeles. 

Many had lost limbs. Others are visually disabled and ride tandem³ with able-bodied riders. Solo cyclist Jennifer Schuble, an American, is the reigning⁴ gold medalist from the 500-meter event in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. She suffered a training injury at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and lost some of the feeling in her feet, but she said that cycling has let her return to competitive sports.

“I was a three-sport athlete at West Point. I played soccer and I ran indoor and outdoor track. And so being physically⁵ fit has always been part of my life, and with cycling, I'm able to clip my feet into the pedals,” said Schuble.

American Sam Kavanagh, who lost his lower leg in a skiing accident seven years ago, says Europeans dominate paracycling and that the U.S. team will face tough competition.

“You've got your perennial⁶ favorites. When it comes to the [cycling] track, Great Britain's a pretty hard program to top. The Aussies always come flying. They're super strong. And you've got select athletes from other countries that have obviously upped the game,” said Kavanagh.

Getting ready for the London games takes training and focus, says Sarah Storey, a British Paralympic gold medalist in both swimming and cycling. She was born with a deformity in her left hand.

“I think we're just going to continue the qualification period as strongly as we can, and then go straight back into training and start building up on the road again, and just trying to make sure that we're fitter and stronger and stay healthy all the way through the hopefully decent British summer, and then welcome the whole world to London,” said Storey.

This summer in London, the world will be watching. 

1 hopping   

n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
• I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。

2 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 tandem   

n.同时发生；配合；adv.一个跟着一个地；纵排地；adj.（两匹马）前后纵列的

参考例句：

• Malcolm's contract will run in tandem with his existing one.马尔科姆的合同将与他手头的合同同时生效。
• He is working in tandem with officials of the Serious Fraud Office.他正配合欺诈重案办公室的官员工作。

4 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。

5 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

6 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。