Practice English with NewsPractice with News
Sports200 words2 min read

Three Italian Sprinters Reach 200m Semifinal at Europeans

red auto-rickshaw under arch walkway
Photo by alexey turenkov on Unsplash

Three Italian sprinters have reached the semifinal of the 200 metres at the European Athletics Championships. Dalia Kaddari, Vittoria Fontana and Cambiolo all performed well in their qualifying heats.

A qualifying heat is a race that decides which athletes move on to the next round. In her heat, Vittoria Fontana finished in fifth place, which was enough to advance.

Dalia Kaddari also ran an impressive race in her own heat. According to reports, she was one of the standout performers of the round.

With Kaddari, Fontana and Cambiolo all through, Italy now has three athletes competing in the same 200m semifinal. This is being described as a strong result, sometimes called a hat trick in sport when three from the same team or country succeed together.

The semifinal races are scheduled to take place this evening. Reaching the semifinal is an important step for the athletes, as it brings them one stage closer to the final of the European Championships, the continent's top athletics event.

Italian athletics fans will be watching closely to see whether any of the three sprinters can go on to reach the final and challenge for a medal in the 200m event.

Vocabulary10 words

European Athletics Championships
the biggest running and jumping competition for Europe
qualifying heat
an early race that decides who moves to the next round
advance
to move forward to the next stage
hat trick
three good results together, often used in sport
sprinter
a person who runs very fast in short races
final
the last, most important race
stage
a step or part of a competition
medal
a prize given for finishing in the top places
performance
how well someone does something
round
one part of a competition with several parts

Quiz

1. What event did the three Italians run in?
2. What was Vittoria Fontana's position in her heat?
3. True or False: All three Italian sprinters failed to qualify for the semifinal.

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Three Italian sprinters have reached the _____ of the 200 metres at the European Athletics Championships.

A qualifying heat is a race that decides which athletes move on to the next _____.

In her heat, Vittoria Fontana finished in _____ place, which was enough to advance.

Dalia Kaddari also ran an _____ race in her own heat.

With Kaddari, Fontana and Cambiolo all through, Italy now has three athletes competing in the same 200m _____.

This is being described as a strong _____, sometimes called a hat trick in sport.

The semifinal races are scheduled to take place this _____.

Reaching the semifinal brings them one stage closer to the _____ of the European Championships.

Italian athletics fans will be watching closely to see whether any of the three sprinters can challenge for a _____.

More Sports stories