The most Unusual Summer Sports

Athletes and spectators alike are getting ready for summer sports. The summer?
biggest sporting event will be the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Millions will watch as the world? best athletes compete for gold medals.
But many other sports competitions will also take place this summer. In fact, some
of the most interesting sports moments will probably never be part of the Olympics.
Over the years, some rather bizarre sports have been gaining popularity around the
world. Read on to discover a few of the strangest sporting events this summer has
to offer.

Man Versus Horse Marathon

(Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales)

One night in 1980, pub owner Gordon Green overheard two customers talking. One
of the customers claimed that over a distance a man? running ability was equal to
a horse?. Green decided to find out if that was true. So he began the annual Man Versus
Horse Marathon.
Every year hundreds of men and women try to outrun horses in a 35 km race.
The closest a person ever came to beating a horse happened in the year 2000. But the
fastest man still lost to the fastest horse by 80 seconds.


World Toe-Wrestling Championships (Wetton, England)

In toe wrestling, competitors connect big toes. Then they try to push the other
person? foot to the opposite end of the mat.
The sport originally began in 1970. A group of locals wanted to create a competition
that the English could win every year. Unfortunately though, a Canadian entered the
contest and won in 1977. Discouraged, the locals ended the competition. But in 1994,
the toe-wrestling championships started up once again. Organizers of the event have
tried to make toe wrestling an Olympic sport. But so far, they haven? been successful.

Mosquito-Killing Championships

(Milan, Italy)

　　The mosquito has to be one of the most hated bugs in the world. Residents in Italy
have found a creative way to express their anger toward the bothersome bugs. They
hold mosquito-killing competitions.
Contestants have five minutes to kill as many mosquitoes as they can with their
bare hands. During the competition, the contestants can only wear socks and bathing
suits. The prizes are often as strange as the competition itself. One year, the first
place winner received a prize of six pigs!
World Pea-Shooting Championships (Witcham, England)
At the World Pea-Shooting Championships, contestants blow peas through a
30-cm-long tube. Accuracy is the goal as peashooters attempt to hit a bull? eye.
The sport began in 1969. The village was having financial problems that year. So some
of the townspeople decided to hold a pea-shooting competition to raise money. It was
a huge success. Since then, they?e held a contest there every year.
Contestants range from age 4 to 70, and nearly anyone has a fair chance at winning.
In 1998, a 12-year-old boy won the championship!

Wife-Carrying World Championships (Sonkajarvi, Finland)
This bizarre wife-carrying competition has its roots in 19th century Finland.
Back then, men sometimes stole wives for themselves from neighboring villages.
Somehow this tradition evolved into a modern-day wife-carrying sport. Every summer
men race each other through a rugged obstacle course. They do this while carrying
their wives on their backs. One of the rules states that the contestants must have
fun.
It appears everyone is having fun at this event. The championship is in its 12th
year, and each year it becomes more and more popular!Word Bank

　　spectator (n) 观众
I can? play basketball. But I enjoy being a spectator at basketball games.
bizarre (adj) 奇异的；异乎寻常的
It snowed in the summertime? How bizarre!
versus (prep) （运动用语）对；对抗
Tonight? football game will be Brazil versus England.
overhear (v) 无意中听到
I overheard our teacher say that we will have a surprise test tomorrow!
wrestling (n) 摔跤
Wrestling is my favorite Olympic sport.
discouraged (adj) d] 灰心的；气馁的
Don? get discouraged. If you keep studying, your English will improve.
mosquito (n) 蚊子
Mosquitoes and other bugs sometimes spread dangerous diseases when they bite people!
bothersome (adj) 令人讨厌的
Air pollution in big cities can be very bothersome.
tube (n) 管子
A straw is a thin plastic tube that you can use to drink beverages.
accuracy (n) 正确度；精确性
George can shoot a basketball with amazing accuracy. I saw him make 30 out of 30
shots.
roots (n pl) 根源
Today? Olympic Games have their roots in ancient Greece.
obstacle (n) 障碍（物）
This path has too many obstacles. Let? choose an easier one.

More Information
medal (n) 奖章
The winner of the race will receive a gold medal.
marathon (n) 马拉松
A marathon is a 26-mile foot race.
mat (n) 垫子
Wrestlers compete on soft mats in order to avoid getting
hurt.
bull? eye (n phr) 靶心
If you hit the bull? eye, you will score 50 points.


Key Points
w This summer, some strange sports competitions will take place around the world.
w In the Man Versus Horse Marathon, men and women try to outrun horses.

Key Points
w Toe wrestling began in England in 1970, but
organizers have been unsuccessful in making it an Olympic sport.
w Contestants in Milan, Italy, compete to kill as many mosquitoes as they can in five
minutes.


Key Points
w The World Pea-Shooting Championships began as a way to raise money for the town
of Witcham, England
w In Finland? Wife-Carrying World Championships, men race each other while carrying
their wives on their backs.