Canyougiveadescriptiontotheword Sport

SPORTSINRUSSIA

Canyougiveadescriptiontotheword"sport"?Sportisanorganized,competitive,entertainingandskilfulactivity,whichrequiresfollowingsomecertainrules.Itisanintegralpartofourlife.Itisverypopularamongpeopleofallnationalitiesanddifferentagegroups.Sporthelpsustobeingoodform,tokeepfit,itmakesusmoreorganized,disciplinedandstrong-willed.

Russiaisacountryfamousforitsoutstandingbrilliantathletes,especiallyinwinterkindsofsport.Russianteamstakeworthyplacesatworldchampionshipsinicehockeyaswellasinfigureskating.

Sporthasbecomeverypopularamongyounggeneration,sincefromearlychildhoodchildrenaretrainedtosportlife.Russianschoolsanduniversitiesofferstudentsawidechoiceofsportingactivities.Itcanbetennis,tabletennis,volleyball,basketball,swimming,football,judo,boxingandothers.TherearealotofsportclubsinRussiaspecializedinvarioussports,whichadmitchildrenandteenagers.Manymembersofsuchclubstakepartinnumerouscompetitions,struggleformedals.

Russianpeopleliketodomanydifferentsports.Insummertheyusuallyswimalot,roller-skateandrideabicycle.Allsportsgroundsarecrowdedwithfootballlovers.ButwintersportsareclosertoRussianpeople.Assoonasthefirstsnowfalls,nearlyalltheliversofthecountrytaketheircross-countryskisandlayoutaskitrail.

YoungathletesadoresnowboardingandAlpineskiing.Skiresortsallaroundthecountrybecomemoreandmorepopular,especiallyamongtheyouth.It'snotenoughforsnowboardersjusttobeabletosurfdowntheslide.It'samustforeveryrespectedboardertoshowatleast5differentstunts,otherwiseheorshewouldnotbeconsidered"cool".ThereisnothingmoreattractiveforRussianpeopleinwinterthanskiingforthewholedayandthensittingwithfriends,chattinganddrinkinghottea.TheequipmentforAlpineskiingandsnowboardingisquiteexpensive,butyoungpeopleusetheequipmentthattheyrentattheskiresorts.

Youcan'tforgetaboutanotherfavouritewintersportoftheRussians–itisskatingandparticularlyfigureskating.Nowadaysmanypeopleattendoutdoororindoorskating-rinkswheretheycanskateeveninsummer.

Russianpeopleareardentfansofextremesports.Forthelastseveralyearsthereoccurredanewyouthpassionforelasticbungeejumping.Youjumpoffabridgeorabuildingandfalldowntotheground,butjustbeforethemomentyouhitthewaterortheground,anelasticropepullsyouback.Thereisasimilarkindofsportcalledskysurfing.Inthiscase,youjumpoutofanairplane,whichisflyingattheheightofabout5km,andfalldownusingaspecialboardto"surf"theair.

Inthesportsworld,Russiaisacountryknownforitscontinuedstrengthandsuccess.DuringtheSovietera,theUSSRnationalteamplacedfirstinthetotalmedalswonat14ofits18Olympicappearances.CarryingontheSovietlegacy,theRussiannationalteamhasneverdroppedbelowthirdplaceinthoserankings.DiscoverthestrongculturalbackgroundandrigoroustraditionsthatformthepowerhouseknownasRussiansports.AmongthemostplayedsportsinRussiaarebasketball,icehockey,bandyandfootball.OthersportswidelyplayedinRussiaincludeteamhandball,weightlifting,gymnastics,boxing,wrestling,martialarts,volleyball,rugbyunionandskiing.

ThereisagreatnumberoffitnesscentresalloverRussia.Ayeartickettooneofsuchcentresmaycostabout10.000roubles.

TrainersfromMoscowfitnesscenterstellwhatsortofregimentochooseifyouwantto:

1.Loseweightfast

2.Improvemuscletone

3.Maintainahealthybody

4.Tightenyourtummy

5.Shapeyourbutt

6.Getridofcellulite

Havingyourpersonalcard,youhaveapossibilitytouseallofferedfacilitiesandattendalltheclassesincludedintheprogram.Itmaybeeverythingfromasimplegymequippedwithalotofup-to-dategymapparatustosomedancingclassesoraswimmingpool.

ButstillmanypeoplewatchsportprogrammesonTVandaresurethattheycanbecalledsport-lovers.Someofthemarekeenonattendingfootballandhockeymatchesatthestadiuminordertofeelauniqueatmosphere.ThereisahugeamountoffootballfansinRussia.ThesenseofempathyisverycommonforRussianpeople.Theteamspiritlivesinthem,thatiswhytheyarealwaysreadytosupporttheircompatriotsatanychampionship.AlthoughtherearemanygoodprofessionalsinsuchfamousfootballclubsasZenit,Spartak,DynamoandLocomotive,theirachievementsarenotverygreat,buteventhisfactcan'tinfluencethefans'attitudetotheirfavouriteteams.

IceHockeyandFigureSkating

Inthesportsworld,Russiaisacountryknownforitscontinuedstrengthandsuccess.DuringtheSovietera,theUSSRnationalteamplacedfirstinthetotalmedalswonat14ofits18Olympicappearances.CarryingontheSovietlegacy,theRussiannationalteamhasneverdroppedbelowthirdplaceinthoserankings.DiscoverthestrongculturalbackgroundandrigoroustraditionsthatformthepowerhouseknownasRussiansports.AmongthemostplayedinRussiaarebasketball,icehockey,bandyandfootball.OthersportswidelyplayedinRussiaincludeteamhandball,weightlifting,gymnastics,boxing,wrestling,martialarts,volleyball,rugbyunionandskiing.

Abroad,about100RussiansplayintheAmericanNHL,andtheRussianteamconsistentlydominatestheInternationalIceHockeyFederation’s(IIHF)men’sworldchampionship.Athome,theKontinentalHockeyLeague(KHE)isaEurasianinternationalprofessionalicehockeyleaguefoundedin2008,asuccessortotheRussianSuperLeague.TheKHLbeganitsoperationswith24teams,21ofwhicharebasedintheRussianFederationwiththeremaining3locatedinBelarus,LatviaandKazakhstan.

ThevigoroustrainingofRussianathleteshasbredsomeofthebesthockeyplayersofalltime.AmongthemareViacheslavFetisovandVladislavTretyak.FetisovwastheheartandsoulofthegreatSovietteamsofthe1980sandahugeadvocatethatRussianplayersgainthefreedomtoplayoutsidetheSovietUnion,namelyintheNHL.Tretyakisalegendarygoalie,a10-timeWorldChampion,3-timeOlympicchampionand1-timeCanadaCupchampion.Heisalsotheonlymodern-eranon-NHLplayerintheHockeyHallofFame–oneofonlytwoRussianplayerssohonored.

Thereareover123hockeyarenasinRussiaincludingtheKrylatskoyeIcePalaceandMalayaArenaLuzhnikiinMoscowandtheJubileeSportsPalaceinSt.Peresburg.Whileticketstothebiggamesmaybehardtocomeby,thereplentyofopportunitiestowatchtheRussianhockeyphenomenoninaction.

FigureskatinginRussiahasalonghistoryfilledwithnationalandworldtitles.In1908,NikolaiPanin-KolomenskywongoldattheLondonOlympics.Inthe1950s,after theSovietUnionhaddevelopedintoapoliticalandathleticworldpower,figureskatingboomed.In1964,56yearsafterNikolaiPanin-Kolomensky’sgold,SovietfigureskatersLudmilaBelousovaandOlegProtopopovwonthepairstitleattheInnsbruckOlympics;alegasyhadbeenborn.

IneveryWinterOlympicssince1964,aSovietorRussianpairhaswongold–onofthelongestwinningstreaksinthehistoryofmodernsports.OneofthemostfamouscouplesinpairsskatersareRussianTatianaTotmianinaandMaximMarinin,whohavewonfourEuropeanchampionships,twoWorldChampionshipsandgoldatthe2006WinterOlympics.