Vocabulary

combined time – суммарное время (после нескольких заездов);

to paddle – отталкиваться руками ото льда при разгоне, разгоняться;

prone position – положение лежа;

acceleration – ускорение;

friction – трение;

finish line – финишная черта;

to throw out – аннулировать результат заезда; не засчитать заезд;

disqualification – дисквалификация;

to count – засчитать результат заезда;

photoelectric sensor – фотоэлектрический датчик;

margin of error – величина допустимой погрешности;

atomic clock – атомные часы;

calibration – калибровка (проверка измерительного прибора).

Exercises

1. Read the text.

2. Give Russian equivalents for:

three divisions of luge competition; men’s singles; women’s singles; gender-neutral doubles; blanket World or Olympic records; track records; to rock back and forth to build momentum; to paddle through the first 10 feet of the track; to press on the bows; final score; to calculate the system’s margin of error; the start timer; the stop timer.

3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:

1. The luge is a Winter Olympic downhill race with men’s and women’s divisions. Athletes go down on specially created ice paths riding lightweight sleds that are steered by shifting their body weight.

2. There is a doubles competition in which two athletes pair up to race downhill in two runs for one day. The teams may be mixed or same sex, although no mixed team has ever competed.

3. Rules and procedures for races are very precise. Prior to a race the athlete must be weighed. This is to determine if the athlete is entitled to carry extra weight on their body while sliding. 

4. Between runs athletes are randomly selected for additional weight checks. A competitor who is chosen at random to make sure they are within the same weight as when they were officially weigh in luge slang is called the controlled. Such a check is to keep the competitors honest.

5. Once an athlete is on their sled they are audibly notified that the track is clear. At this point a tone sounds and the athlete has thirty seconds to begin their run.

6. At the start of the luge course, there are two handles, one on each side of the track. The slider grabs these handles and rocks back and forth to build momentum for the start.

7. The slider uses the spiked fingers of his/her gloves to paddle the luge from the starting gate. A slider needs to be extremely strong to make the luge move initially. 

8. Once the slider has got the luge to move, gravity kicks in and speed naturally accelerates. As the slider steers throughout the course, friction is the main enemy to speed and works against gravity to slow the slider down. 

9. Lugers compete against a timer and are timed to a thousandth of a second, making luge one of the most precisely timed sports in the world. 

10. In the two-man luge event, there is a top man and a bottom man. The top man is the taller of the two athletes and sits on top of his luge partner. The bigger man goes on top for greater speed and aerodynamics.