Pan Lei grabs women’s……_奥运英语

　pan lei grabs women's snowboard halfpipe silver

　pan lei grabbed a silver medal of the women's snowboard halfpipe event at the universiade on tuesday, in china's first international appearance in this event.

　this is the first time that chinese skiers took part in the international competition and won a medal as well.

　“i am so excited just taking part in the competition,” said pan.“i never dreamed that i could get a medal.”

　“i have only practiced the halfpipe for less than one year and never took part in international competition before,” said 18-year-old pan.

　tian younian, secretary of the chinese association, said china had harvested not only a medal but experience from the games.

　“this is the first time that chinese skiers took part in international snowboard competition. they learnt a lot here and strengthened their confidence that they could do better if they had more time to practice,” said tian.

　all the six chinese athletes, aged between 18 and 22, had only practiced the halfpipe for less than one year.

　“i began to learn halfpipe one year ago and i have only practiced for less than 10 hours on a formal halfpipe course,” said cheng jinhui, who ranked 12th in the 44-person men's competition.

　“more and more people began to practice snowboard in china,” said tian. “but i think we still have a long way to go.”

　there are less than one hundred professional snowboard skiers in china, all of them are young and lack of experience, according to tian.

　“most of them are under 20, and none of them have any international experiences,” he said. “you can't imagine these skiers in universities could gain a medal in next year's winter olympics at turin”

　but it will be different in 2010, he said. “i am fully confident that the young skiers will become more matured and i think they will reap success at the 2010 winter olympic,” said tian.