BBC Learning English – 6 Minute English / Artistic swimming

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Introduction

How lengthy are you able to maintain your breath underwater? And what about should you had been doing a gymnastic and dance routine as nicely…? Artistic swimming, which was referred to as synchronised swimming, requires dedication, onerous work and keenness. Phil and Becca talk about this and educate you some new vocabulary.

This week’s query

Artistic swimming grew to become an Olympic sport in 1984, however which nation has gained probably the most gold medals for the game since then?

a) Russia
b) China 
c) the USA

Listen to the programme to listen to the reply.

Vocabulary

solo
executed by one individual alone
 
duet
executed by two individuals
 
conceal behind a smile
(idiom) conceal painful emotions by presenting a cheerful outward look
 
alternatively
used to introduce a contrasting opinion
 
chillin’
(slang) stress-free
 
respite
a break from doing one thing troublesome

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This will not be a word-for-word transcript. 

Phil
Hello, that is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Phil.
 
Becca
And I’m Becca. Have you ever executed one thing bodily difficult, Phil, like working a marathon perhaps, or climbing a mountain?
 
Phil
I’ve climbed some mountains, however solely little or no ones, so it wasn’t that difficult. If bodily challenges are one thing you take pleasure in, perhaps it’s best to strive inventive swimming, or synchronised swimming because it was known as – a mix of dance and gymnastics with a distinction. In inventive swimming, athletes dance underwater whereas holding their breath!
 
Becca
Did you say… dance underwater?
 
Phil
Yes, swimmers dance the other way up within the water, holding their breath. As we’ll hear, it is a particularly demanding sport which requires self-discipline, stamina and years of coaching. As typical, we’ll be studying some helpful new phrases and phrases, and you’ll practise these with the quiz and worksheet on our web site. That’s bbclearningenglish.com.
 
Becca
Great. But first, Phil, I’ve a query for you. Artistic swimming grew to become an Olympic sport in 1984, however which nation has gained probably the most gold medals since then? Is it:
 
a)    Russia,
b)    China, or
c)    the USA?
 
Phil
Ooh, I believe it is b) China.
 
Becca
Well, we’ll reveal the right reply later on this episode. Silvia Solymosyová from Slovakia is a European Championship medallist. She’s additionally the primary inventive swimmer with over one million social media followers, after movies of her strolling the other way up underwater went viral. Here, she explains the several types of swimming dances, known as routines, to Datshiane Navanayagam, presenter of BBC World Service programme The Conversation.
 
Datshiane Navanayagam
If you needed to clarify inventive swimming to somebody who has by no means seen it, how would you describe it?
 
Silvia Solymosyová
So, I might say it relies upon should you’re watching, like, a solo or duet or workforce routine, as a result of in solo there’s one individual, in duet there’s two individuals, and in workforce routines there might be eight individuals or ten individuals. And within the workforce routines, there’s lots of lifts. And really within the routines we’re smiling, however we’re hiding behind the smile as a result of we are literally, perhaps, dying…! We do not have oxygen, so… however we’re smiling and other people assume that it is easy when it is really not.
 
Phil
Artistic swimming routines are carried out solo, which means by only one individual, or as a duet, which implies by two individuals. There are additionally workforce routines the place one swimmer is lifted up out of the water. What all these routines have in frequent is that, bodily, they’re extremely onerous.
 
Becca
Yes, inventive routines are executed the other way up, underwater, with out oxygen. The swimmer’s actions should be as sleek as a ballet dancer, and above all, it has to look easy as a result of judges award factors for inventive expression. Silvia says she hides behind a smile – an idiom which means to cover ache by presenting a cheerful outward look.
 
Phil
To succeed on the high stage of any sport requires an enormous quantity of dedication. Silvia trains eight hours a day, six days every week, beneath the steerage of her coach, who’s additionally her mum and a former inventive swimming champion herself. Here, Silvia discusses the sacrifices she’s made to succeed, with Datshiane Navanayagam for BBC World Service’s The Conversation:
 
Datshiane Navanayagam
How straightforward was it being educated and coached by your mum?
 
Silvia Solymosyová
I believe it is good on one facet as a result of you may practise extra at residence, however alternatively, it isn’t generally good since you’re coaching if you’re at residence, if you’re alleged to be, like, chillin’.
 
Datshiane Navanayagam
There’s no respite from it, in a means, I assume.
 
Silvia Solymosyová
Yeah, I did not have time for the rest.
 
Becca
Silvia thinks there are good and unhealthy issues about being coached by her mum. It’s good as a result of she will be able to practise at residence, however alternatively, it appears like she’s coaching on a regular basis. She makes use of the phrase alternatively to point out this contrasting opinion. What Silvia actually seems to be ahead to is chillin’ – a slang phrase which means stress-free or hanging out.
 
Phil
For younger athletes, balancing sport with college and associates is troublesome, and it is onerous to get a respite from coaching. A respite is a brief break from doing one thing troublesome. Do what, Becca? I believe I want a respite from all this speak about coaching. Now, what was the reply to your query?
 
Becca
Ah sure, Phil! I requested you which of them nation had gained probably the most gold medals for inventive swimming for the reason that starting of the Olympic sport?
 
Phil
And I stated I believed it was China.
 
Becca
Well, you are very shut geographically. It is, the truth is, Russia. OK. Let’s recap the vocabulary we have learnt, beginning with solo – one thing executed alone. And duet – one thing executed by two individuals.

Phil
The idiom conceal behind a smile means to cover painful emotions by presenting a cheerful exterior look.
 
Becca
The phrase alternatively is used to introduce a contrasting opinion or assertion.
 
Phil
Chillin’ is slang for stress-free.
 
Becca
And lastly, a respite is a break from doing one thing troublesome.
 
Phil
Once once more, our six minutes are up, however if you would like to practise the vocabulary you’ve got learnt from this or any of our different episodes, then head over to our web site, bbclearningenglish.com, for quizzes, pronunciation suggestions and rather more. Thanks for becoming a member of us and goodbye for now.
 
Becca
Bye!

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