French Marathon Runners Win Surprise Bronze at European Championships
Listen to the story
French marathon runners won a surprise bronze medal at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. The French athletes did not expect this result.
One French runner said, "I did not know!" after learning about the medal. People are calling it a medal that "fell from the sky" because the team did not know they had won it during the race.
At the Championships, several athletes became champions in their events. Gondouin, Petros and Vainio all won gold medals at the marathon competitions in Birmingham.
In many international athletics events, marathon results also give team rankings. This means the times of several runners from the same country are added together for a team score.
The French team's combined results in the marathon were good enough to earn them the bronze medal for the team classification. This came as a pleasant surprise for the French athletes and their coaches.
The European Championships bring together top athletes from across Europe. The marathon is one of the toughest events, testing both speed and endurance over a very long distance.
News of the French team's bronze medal spread quickly among French sports fans, who were happy about the unexpected success in Birmingham.
Vocabulary6 words
- marathon
- a very long running race
- bronze medal
- a prize for third place
- Championships
- a big sports competition
- champions
- people who win first place
- team rankings
- how teams are placed by combined results
- athletes
- people who compete in sports
Quiz
Answer key
1. Bronze 2. The team did not know they had won it 3. Gondouin, Petros and Vainio
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
French marathon runners won a surprise _____ medal at the European Athletics Championships in _____. The French athletes did not expect this result.
One French runner said, "I did not know!" after learning about the medal. People are calling it a medal that "fell from the _____" because the team did not know they had won it during the race.
At the Championships, several athletes became _____ in their events. Gondouin, Petros and Vainio all won gold medals at the marathon competitions in Birmingham.
In many international athletics events, marathon results also give team _____. This means the times of several runners from the same country are added together for a team score.
The French team's combined results in the marathon were good enough to earn them the bronze medal for the team _____. This came as a pleasant surprise for the French athletes and their coaches.
The European Championships bring together top athletes from across _____. The marathon is one of the toughest events, testing both speed and _____ over a very long distance.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the French team was surprised by the bronze medal?
- Do you think team rankings in individual sports like marathon running are a good idea? Why or why not?
- What qualities do you think a marathon runner needs to succeed?
- Have you ever been surprised by good news you did not expect? What happened?