Tournaments and rounds, titles and upsets, tactics, clubs and the business around the game.
Sports reporting in Chinese is compact: a headline packs a result into two characters, as in 夺冠, to win the title, or 卫冕, to defend it. The stages of a tournament all end in 赛, a contest: 小组赛, 半决赛, 决赛. Note that 选手 is any competitor, in a quiz or a singing contest as much as on the track, while 运动员 is only an athlete.
The words
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Verb (11)
夺冠to win the titleVerb5
她终于在家乡的比赛中夺冠了。She finally won the title at a competition in her home town.
Headline short form of 夺得冠军.
淘汰to eliminate; to knock out; to phase outVerb5
我们队第一轮就被淘汰了。Our team was knocked out in the very first round.
Also of old products: 淘汰旧手机, to get rid of old phones.
晋级to advance (to the next round)Verb5
赢了这场比赛，他们就能晋级下一轮。If they win this match, they go through to the next round.
At work it means to be promoted a grade.
赞助to sponsor; sponsorshipVerb5
这次比赛由几家本地企业赞助。This competition is sponsored by several local businesses.
The sponsor is 赞助商.
卫冕to defend a titleVerb5
去年的冠军今年没能卫冕。Last year's champion failed to defend the title this year.
The defending champion is 卫冕冠军.
反超to come from behind and take the leadVerb5
比赛最后五分钟，客队反超了比分。In the last five minutes the away team went ahead on the score.
逆转to turn around (a result); to reverseVerb5
上半场落后三个球，他们最后竟然逆转取胜。Three goals down at half-time, they still managed to turn it round and win.
颁奖to present awardsVerb5
比赛结束后，市长亲自为冠军颁奖。After the competition the mayor presented the prize to the winner in person.
An award ceremony is 颁奖典礼.
破纪录to break a recordVerb5
她今年已经三次破纪录了。She has already broken the record three times this year.
纪录, a record, is written with 纪; 记录 is to note down.
退役to retire (from sport or the army)Verb5
他三十五岁退役，后来当了教练。He retired at thirty-five and later became a coach.
Retiring from an ordinary job is 退休.
转会to transfer (to another club)Verb5
这名前锋夏天转会到了一家国外的俱乐部。This striker moved to a club abroad in the summer.
Noun (29)
竞技competitive sport; athletic competitionNoun5
竞技体育讲的是输赢，全民健身讲的是健康。Competitive sport is about winning and losing; fitness for everyone is about health.
赛事sporting event; competitionNoun5
这个周末城里有好几场重要赛事。There are several important sporting events in town this weekend.
选手competitor; contestantNoun4
参加这次比赛的选手来自二十多个国家。The competitors in this event come from more than twenty countries.
Any contestant, including in quizzes and talent shows; 运动员 is only an athlete.
决赛finalNoun4
决赛在星期天晚上举行。The final takes place on Sunday evening.
半决赛semi-finalNoun5
半决赛打得非常激烈，比决赛还精彩。The semi-final was hard-fought and even more exciting than the final.
小组赛group stageNoun5
主队在小组赛中三场全胜。The home team won all three of its group matches.
体育精神sportsmanshipNoun5
输了也要跟对手握手，这就是体育精神。Even when you lose, you shake hands with your opponent: that is sportsmanship.
兴奋剂performance-enhancing drug; dopingNoun5
这名选手因为使用兴奋剂被禁赛两年。This athlete was banned for two years for doping.
Literally a stimulant; in sport it covers all banned substances.
奥运会the Olympic GamesNoun4
奥运会每四年举办一次。The Olympic Games are held every four years.
Short for 奥林匹克运动会.
世界杯the World CupNoun4
世界杯期间，很多人半夜起床看球。During the World Cup many people get up in the middle of the night to watch the football.
锦标赛championship (tournament)Noun5
他代表学校参加了全国游泳锦标赛。He represented his school at the national swimming championships.
联赛league (competition)Noun5
这个赛季的联赛从三月一直打到十一月。This season the league runs from March right through to November.
劲敌formidable opponent; strong rivalNoun5
这支球队是我们最大的劲敌。This team is our toughest rival.
劲 reads jìng here (strong), jìn in 没劲.
主力key player; main forceNoun5
两名主力受了伤，球队今天很难赢。Two key players are injured, so the team will find it hard to win today.
替补substitute (player); reserveNoun5
他是替补，下半场才上场。He was a substitute and only came on in the second half.
战术tacticsNoun5
教练在中场休息时改了战术。The coach changed tactics at half-time.
The long-term plan is 战略; 战术 is how a single match is played.
失误error; slipNoun5
他一个小失误，让对手得了一分。One small slip of his gave the opponent a point.
加时赛extra time; overtimeNoun5
九十分钟打平，比赛进入加时赛。Level after ninety minutes, the match went into extra time.
点球penalty (kick)Noun5
最后两队只好靠点球决定胜负。In the end the two teams had to settle the result on penalties.
In full 点球大战, a penalty shoot-out.
东道主host (of an event)Noun5
作为东道主，这座城市修建了新的体育馆。As host, the city built a new sports hall.
Also of the person who pays for a meal or receives guests.
开幕式opening ceremonyNoun4
开幕式上的烟花表演特别漂亮。The fireworks at the opening ceremony were especially beautiful.
闭幕式closing ceremonyNoun5
闭幕式上，下一届的主办城市接过了会旗。At the closing ceremony the next host city took over the Games flag.
领奖台podium; winners' rostrumNoun5
站在领奖台上，她激动得哭了。Standing on the podium, she was so moved that she cried.
体能physical fitness; staminaNoun5
长跑比赛对体能的要求很高。Long-distance races make great demands on physical fitness.
耐力endurance; staminaNoun5
每天游一千米能慢慢提高耐力。Swimming a thousand metres a day gradually builds endurance.
啦啦队cheerleaders; cheering squadNoun5
场边的啦啦队一直在为球员加油。The cheering squad at the side of the pitch kept urging the players on.
冷门upset (unexpected result); unpopular fieldNoun5
这场比赛爆了个大冷门，排名最低的队赢了。This match produced a big upset: the lowest-ranked team won.
爆冷门, to cause an upset; the favourite is the 热门.
排名ranking; to rankNoun4
她的世界排名升到了第五。Her world ranking has risen to fifth.
俱乐部clubNoun4
我参加了一个网球俱乐部，每周打两次。I have joined a tennis club and play twice a week.
乐 reads lè here, from the sound of the English word.
Adjective (1)
业余amateur; spare-timeAdjective4
他是业余选手，白天还要上班。He is an amateur and still has to go to work during the day.
