体坛英语资讯：Olympic champion share experience with young athletes

The Youth Olympic Games provided a great chance for Asian pole vault junior champion Xu Huiqin to meet the legendary Sergey Bubka and even asked the former Olympic champion a question.

"What was your secret to be a great pole vaulter," asked Xu, who finished third in the qualification Tuesday morning on the fourth day of the inaugural Youth Olympics.

Now an IOC member, Bubka taught his experience that helped him break the world records, both indoor and outdoor for 35 times, and winning the 1988 Seoul Olympics as well as six world titles.

"Pole vault is every technical and complicated, because it combines two sports. On the ground it is athletics and after taking off is gymnastics," said the Ukrainian. "In any sports you must be fast, to be a good gymnast, and have a mental stability because you have to face lots of challenges."

"I think physically strong is just one side, you should have the skills, which is the origin of my success," he answered at the "Chat with Champions" forum, which is one of the Games' Culture and Education Programs created to balance the young athletes' commitments to sporting events and differentiate the Youth Olympic Games from the traditional Olympic Games.

Among the programs, the Hortpark tour Tuesday saw the Brazilian handball team, Chinese pentathletes, Myanmar weightlifters and Moroccan swimmers learn ideas about environmental protection in the gardening hub.

"Everyday I expect the evening comes because that's when all the fun activities start in the Village," said Chinese pentathlete Zhu Wenjing after the Hortpark tour.

But the athletes will not lose themselves in various activities as they continue to create good results in competition.

A junior world record was born on the weightlifting platform Tuesday morning when Chinese national champion Deng Wei dominated the snatch by reaching 110kg - 15kg more than her closest rival - on her third attempt and followed with 132kg in the clean and jerk for a 242kg total, one kilogram better than the previous women's 53kg junior world record.

"I am satisfied and I've done my best," Deng said.

One the same day, China also took two swimming golds in women's 100m freestyle and women's 200m backstroke.

China's Lin Sheng beat the odds to grab the cadet female individual epee title, denying Italy a fourth fencing gold medal in the individual events at the Youth Games.

Gold is important but winning is not everything here.

Weightlifter Tibon Lomina from Marshal Islands only started hoisting a barbell over her head two months ago. She posted a score of 65kg -127kg lower than the winning total - in the women's 53kg competition. This trip to Singapore is the first away from home for athletes representing the Marshall Islands. For them, merely participating and soaking up the experience of an international competition is enough.

In the men's cross country cycling final, New Zealander Sam Shaw found his pedals jammed in the last lap at the Tampines Bike Park. Unable to ride, he picked up his bike and ran most of the last 3.1km lap, only jumping back on his bike to coast down hills.

The huge cheer he received from the crowd when he crossed the line in 23rd place equalled that lavished on race winner Jhonnatan Botero of Colombia, who had broken the tape nine minutes and 46 seconds previously.

"I was trying to get a good result, but just the experience has been amazing. I would love to go to the older Olympics when I'm older, so this is so awesome," he said.