赤の六月 The Glimmer of A Dream

Seeing the title, you may wonder what I’m gonna talk about in this post, the Rolls-Royce? Ha~~ you’re definitely wrong. Here is a metaphor refers to Dean Macey, an English decathlete who has been suffering from his latest injury. To our Chinese people, Macey is an unfamiliar name. But to Brits, he can be treated as one of the best-loved athletes not only for his achievements but also for his persistence to sport.    

      Macey started out in athletics as a triple jumper but graduated up through the octathlon to settle on the decathlon. However, his sports career is full of physical frustrations, which mean injuries ravage him so frequently. What makes him outstanding is his resilience and determination. For instance, Macey qualified for the Athens Olympics in 2004 by dragging his ailing body and  Macey qualified for the Athens Olympics in 2004 by dragging his ailing body and at the 2006 Commonwealth Games he claimed gold despite still nursing some injuries. He once said “I won’t give up until the last of my limbs drops off”, which makes him really admirable.

     Now Macey’s back problem is most people’s worry as the countdown to the Beijing Olympics begins in earnest. His lack of competition since winning gold in Melbourne in March 2006 is a festering concern. As a British athlete with a possible medal in his grasp, we expect to see him in Beijing and watch his wonderful performance on the Olympic stage. Just as the article noted “Macey has a Rolls-Royce engine beneath the rusting bonnet.” Once he stands on the start line, there is no doubt that he will put in a great performance. The injuries have taken him to dark places he never thought existed, however, as a super-committed trainer with hope, determination, he is resigned to be honored.

     In my previous post, I introduced the Fly-man Gatlin who has lost the chance to participate at 2008 Beijing Olympics for the sake of drug use. Which makes things even worse is the possibility that Macey will miss the Game, too. But quite reverse, it is his injury that prevents him to come. Being a sports lover, I am longing to enjoy in the 2008 grand party with more and more great athletes and players get involved. As a result, I hope that such kind of disappointing things will happen less and less.

Best wishes!

Access:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article3134172.ece

After I have read the article Beijing’s Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue , I think a lot and I remember one day in Vera’s class, she complained about the foul air in Beijing and asked whether we can taste the polluted air, all of as said “no”. It makes plain that we get accustomed to the gray, acid skies and the foul air. However, we can not deny the fact that Beijing has steadily increased its Blue Sky days in recent years.

The columnist mentions that for the world’s Olympians, Beijing’s air is a performance issue. So the concern is that respiratory problems could affect athletic performance and prevent records from being broken. That is why we should take the environmental problem seriously as the 2008 Olympics is around the corner.

As far as I’m concerned, since Beijing has been confirmed host city of 2008 Olympics, the spirit of “green Olympics” has been carried through very effectively and has brought  more and more changes to Beijing, of course the positive changes~ Polluting factories have been moved or closed. Scientists are testing wind patterns and atmospheric structure to identify the local and regional pollution sources. It is known to all that last August Beijing took an experimental step on the road to 2008 Olympic Games, the city removed a million cars from roads during a four-day test on the purpose of reducing pollution and clearing traffic. What’s more, more and more trees and flowers are planted in order to improve the climate and optimize the use of our rich resources and provide an environmental friendly city to the world.

“Beijing has long ranked as one of the world’s most polluted cities.” Actually I doubt whether the columnist says is true, but we should face the music and realize that the ecological environment in Beijing as well as in other cities of our country should be improved.

I do agree the columnist’s opinion that pollution is an inescapable health and quality-of-life issue, especially in the big city with estimated 12 million residents. I’m in full conviction that we will provide the world a green Beijing and a green Olympics, however, any emergency measures have a limited shelf life, thus we should continue our efforts to turn our sky blue even after the Game for the sake of our life.

Sometimes the columnist seems critical, he says “Beijing is like an athlete trying to get into shape by walking on a treadmill yet eating double cheeseburgers at the same time. Polluting factories have been moved or closed “and “it is like you invite some guests to your home, and hide all your children underneath the bed to make the house look nicer.” We know that for many foreigners the concern is whether Beijing can clean itself up long after the Games are over. Nevertheless, fighting against pollution is a long-term battle and we can hardly see the result immediately, and there is no doubt that we may encounter a lot of difficulties and defeat them one by one, eventually we can make it with our determination and persistence~

Despite some criticisms, we are making efforts to fight against pollution on our own way and longing for more and more blue skies in the city we love

Let’s all wish the best for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing~

Access:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/29/world/asia/29china.html

I feel very disappointed to hear that another talented sprinter falls into the doping case. I can hardly believe that the former Olympic 100m champ is a drug user. For sports lovers, especially for those interested in track and field, Justin Gatlin is beyond all doubts a gifted sprinter, his Olympic 100m final time is the second fastest in Olympic history, and his fastest recorded 200m time of 19.86 seconds is the fastest mark for a junior (under 20) athlete. I have paid special attention to him since the 2004 Athens Olympics when he won the gold medal in the 100m dash, and then he became the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki.

Gatlin tested positive for excessive testosterone at the Kansas Relays in April 2006. It was his second doping offense. Gatlin tested positive for amphetamines in 2001, nevertheless Gatlin had taken medication for attention deficit disorder since childhood. He stopped taking the medication three days before the competition, but small amounts still were detected. An arbitration panel in the 2001 case determined Gatlin did not attempt to cheat. His attorney Collins had argued that Gatlin unknowingly had a testosterone cream applied to him by a disgruntled massage therapist, who repeatedly has denied the allegations. Gatlin also said he received an injection of what supposedly was vitamin B-12 from Randall Evans, an assistant to coach Trevor Graham, in the weeks leading up to the Kansas competition.

The four-year doping suspension would prevent him from defending his 100m title at the Beijing Olympics and he is not eligible to run until may 25,2010.When an athlete is accused for doping abuse, he or she will tend to find different excuses in order to show that he or she is innocent. Some may be honest, but some may not. At this moment, it is hard for our fans to tell between truth and lies. For my part, I do hold the belief that most athletes are running with their heart and soul. However, as more and more doping offenses emerge to the public, I feel confused and my belief begins to waver. If all the athletes are willing to win at any cost and try every means to search for the competitive edge, what the sports world will be. If the model for the ideal life is a cheater, the meaning to people’s lives and the sense of groundness will be eroded. Therefore I would rather to believe our icons and to listen to their responses and voices, and maybe we can grasp the glimmer of hope. And when it comes to Gatlin’s case, I can not say whether he is innocent or not, whether the positive drug test was a result of sabotage or not. What we can do is to wait and see.

Access:    http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-RUN-Gatlin-Doping.html?ref=othersports

The breathtaking downhill skiing always attracts people’s eyes, the speed, the quick movements, the skiers’ splendid skills, all these elements contribute to a visual shock. However, this article keeps us aware of the danger involved in this great sports event.

 It is about the impact of poor and unsafe conditions on the women’s World Cup downhill in Aspen, Colo. The soft snow and limited visibility led to the crash of Anne-Sophie Barthet, a 19-year-old competitor from France. And before Barthet, Alexandra Meissnitzer of Austria, a veteran downhiller who sustained a bone bruise of the tibia in her left leg is the first victim. To people’s surprise, the event organizers reconsidered continuing the competition. There is no doubt that more and more skiers will encounter dangerous situations during such a dangerous race.There are many strong opponents to the race organizers’’ decision. The race referee, Atle Skaardal, defended the decision to start. The circuit’s reigning champion, Nicole Hosp of Austria, refused to compete after learning of Meissnitzer’s crash. But organizers were forced to delay, and then shorten the downhill after because several feet of snow fell on the course late in the week.

Why the race organizers insisted to prepare the course for the downhill despite a big snowstorm at the risk of the competitors’ lives? This is the questions about the proper balance between athlete safety and the demands of the sponsors. Since it was the first women’s World Cup downhill in Aspen since 1988, hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorships were tied to the broadcast and TV event. If the sponsors push hard, the organizers have to please and satisfy them at the cost of athletes’ safety. As far as I am concerned, this is an abnormal phenomenon which distorts the true meaning of sports. What our spectators expect to watch is a wonderful game with less injuries and crashes; we respect the athletes and cherish their life. If the race condition is unsafe, the wise decision is to delay or improve it, because a perfect game is a combination of good conditions and excellent players. The commercialism has always been in the center of controversy. I have to say that let commercialism and sponsorship stay away from sports, and maybe sports will comeback again as the pure and healthy popular pastimes for every sports lover.

Access:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/sports/othersports/09ski.html?_r=1&oref=slogin