Totsuka, 24, appearing in his third consecutive Olympics, performed ultra-high-level tricks one after another during his second run, recording a high score of 96.25 points. Additionally, 19-year-old Ryusei Yamada, making his first appearance, won a bronze medal with a dynamic performance, putting two Japanese athletes on the podium.
Vる/Vた+となる= to become; to turn out to beVさせて= causative form (make/let someone do), often used for achieving results
Totsuka expressed his explosive joy with a broad smile, saying, 'I was able to reach this medal because of the frustrating experiences I've had so far. I want to thank everyone who supported me.'
Vた+から= because (reasoning)V(可能形)= potential form; 'can do' or 'be able to'V(連用形)+たい= want to do ~
いっぽう、2連覇を狙った平野歩夢選手は、3回目の滑走で転倒し、7位という結果に終わりました。
Learning Notes
Grammar Patterns
Pattern
Meaning
Nが行われる
to be held; to take place
Vる/Vた+となる
to become; to turn out to be
Vさせて
causative form (make/let someone do), often used for achieving results
Vた+から
because (reasoning)
V(可能形)
potential form; 'can do' or 'be able to'
V(連用形)+たい
want to do ~
Nに終わる
to end in; to result in (often negative or contrary to expectations)
Vocabulary
Word
Reading
Level
Meaning
行われる
おこなわれる
N3
to be held; to take place
悔しい
くやしい
N3
frustrating; regrettable
いっぽう
いっぽう
N3
on the other hand; meanwhile
決勝
けっしょう
N2
final
獲得する
かくとくする
N2
to acquire; to win
技
わざ
N2
technique; trick
演技
えんぎ
N2
performance; acting
日本勢
にほんぜい
N2
Japanese athletes/contingent
表彰台
ひょうしょうだい
N2
podium; winner's platform
たどり着ける
たどりつける
N2
to be able to reach; to attain
支える
ささえる
N2
to support; to sustain
爆発させる
ばくはつさせる
N2
to explode; to burst forth (emotions)
転倒
てんとう
N2
falling down; tumbling
悲願
ひがん
N1
long-cherished desire
滑走
かっそう
N1
run; slide; gliding
たたき出す
たたきだす
N1
to set (a record); to achieve (a score)
満面
まんめん
N1
whole face
二連覇
にれんぱ
N1
second consecutive title; two consecutive wins
Language Insights
•The term '悲願' (higan) literally means a 'sorrowful prayer' or a 'long-cherished dream' that hasn't been realized for a long time. It is very common in sports journalism when an athlete finally wins after many attempts.
•The phrase 'たたき出す' (tatakidasu) is an idiomatic expression used to describe achieving a high score or record, implying a powerful or striking performance.
•Japanese news often uses '~勢' (zei) to refer to a group or contingent, such as '日本勢' for Japanese athletes or '海外勢' for foreign competitors.