Types of Skiing There are three types of skiing: Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and freestyle skiing.
Alpine Skiing Alpine skiing is skiing down a hill. The word comes from the Alps, the highest mountains in Europe where downhill skiing started. Beginners slide down gentle slopes and keep the front tips of their skis together. This is called a snow plough. When you get better, you ski parallel and keep your ankles together. For many years, skis were made out of wood. Today modern carvers are made of a combination of different materials. They have metal edges and are broader at the ends so that you
can turn more
keep steady at
easily. Generally, better
skiers
use
longer
higher speeds. Safety bindings help prevent
skis leg
because
they
injuries.
They separate you from the skis when you fall down. The first boots were made out of leather. Today they have two parts. The outer shell is hard and gives skiers more protection, the inner boot is made up of foam or other materials and it keeps your feet warm. Two ski poles are used to help you keep your balance. Alpine skiing is a very popular form of recreation in many countries. Millions enjoy it in the USA, Canada, many European countries and Japan. There are thousands of ski areas all over the world. In America, Colorado is the most popular state for skiing with famous resorts like Vail and Aspen. Europe has some of the most luxurious and famous skiing areas including St. Moritz (Switzerland), Val d’Isere (France), Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany), Kitzbßhel and the Arlberg (Austria) and Sestriere (Italy).
The Olympic Games The Olympic Games are an international sports competition, which are held every four years in a different city. Thousands of athletes from all over the world compete against each other in individual and team sports. Over 1 billion people watch the games on TV. The first Olympic Games were held in Greece in 776 B.C. They were called the ancient games and lasted until the 4th century A.D. The modern games began in 1896, when the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin revived the games to bring peace and friendship to the young people all over the world. Today, there are summer and winter games. Up to 1994, both games were held in the same year, but now they are staged two years apart from each other.
1956 Austrian skier Toni Sailer wins all races in the Olympic skiing events —French skier Jean Claude Killy does the same in 1968.
1960 Abebe Biklia of Ethiopia runs the fastest marathon ever—wearing no shoes. It is the third marathon he has ever run and he is the first African to win an Olympic gold medal.
1968 Bob Beamon leaps 8.9 meters in the long jump. This world record holds for over 20 years.
1972 The USA’s Mark Spitz becomes the world’s most successful swimmer—winning seven gold medals.
1976 Romanian-born Nadia Comaneci gets the first perfect score in gymnastics: 10.0.
1980 Dutch speed skater Eric Heiden becomes the first athlete to win five gold medals in one Olympics. The United States ice hockey team wins the gold medal for the first time after the sport had been dominated by the Russians for the past years.
1988 Ben Johnson sets a new world record in the 100-meter dash, but is then disqualified after the IOC discovers that he has taken steroids.
1992 For the first time professional basketball, players are allowed to compete at the Olympics. America’s “Dream Team” with Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan wins easily.
BASKETBALL- A FAST-PACED INDOOR GAME Basketball is a fast, exciting and popular sport, played by over 300 million people all over the world. It was invented in the United States in 1891. Today, it is a sport that is played in all types of schools all over the world. The best professional players compete in teams of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Although basketball can be played almost everywhere it is mostly an indoor game played on a court that is 29 meters long and 15 meters wide. The floor is made of wood. At each end, there is a backboard and a basket, which you must shoot the ball through. The basket is about 3 metres from the floor. The official ball is made out of leather and it has a circumference of 76 cm. The court has many important lines drawn on the floor. The midcourt line and the center circle are where the game starts. The referee throws the ball into the air and two players jump up and try to push it to their teammates. The three-point line is a curved line on the floor. If a player shoots a basket from outside the line, the team gets three points. The free throw line is the place from which a player tries to score a point after he is fouled. The sidelines and the baselines mark the boundaries of the court. Each team consists of five players who can be substituted at any time. Normally a team has two guards, two forwards and a center. The guards are usually the smallest and quickest players. They should be good dribblers and passers and they play farther away from the basket. Most of them are good at three-point shots. Forwards are taller and stronger than guards. They usually play near the basket and are good rebounders. The center is the most important player on a team. He is very tall and always watches out for balls that come off the backboard. He is a good scorer and can dominate a game.