Step 1
Read the Article
Read the article to understand the main idea.
記事を読んで、おおよその内容をつかみましょう。
Olympic gold winners “RikuRyu” pair retire
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara announced on April 17 that they are retiring from figure skating. The Japanese pair, called "RikuRyu" by many fans, made the decision two months after winning Olympic gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
At the Olympics, they moved up from fifth place to first place with a world-record free skate after mistakes earlier in the event. They became the first Japanese pair to win Olympic gold.
"While our competitive careers are coming to an end, we truly feel that we gave it our all, and have no regrets. We are proud of everything we went through, and feel we gained so much along the way," they posted on Instagram.
They said they will work to make pair skating more popular in Japan after retiring. "We hope that we can count on you to follow us on our journey," they added.
(AP)
Step 2
Check the Vocabulary and Phrases
Check the following vocabulary and phrases.
以下の単語やフレーズの発音、意味、使い方を確認しましょう。
retire
引退する
to stop working at your job or career, especially because you have reached a certain age or level of achievement
She retired from professional tennis at the age of 35.
彼女は35歳でプロテニスを引退しました。
move up
上がる
to go to a higher position or level
She moved up to first place in the race.
彼女はレースで1位に上がりました。
gain
得る
to obtain or achieve something that is useful or gives you an advantage
You can gain new skills by practicing every day.
毎日練習することで新しいスキルを得ることができます。
count on
頼りにする、期待する
to depend on somebody to do what you want or expect them to do
I can always count on my best friend for help.
私はいつも親友を頼ることができます。
follow
追い続ける、見守る
to watch or pay attention to someone's progress or activities over time
Many fans followed the young player's career.
多くのファンがその若い選手のキャリアを見守りました。
Step 3
Comprehension Questions
Answer the following questions based on the article.
理解度問題に挑戦しましょう。
What did Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara win at the 2026 Olympics?
How did Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara feel about their competitive careers?
Step 4
Discussion
Share your opinions on the following questions.
以下の質問について、自分の考えを述べてみましょう。
Do you like watching figure skating? Why?
Do you have a favorite athlete? Why do you like them?
Are there any things you have worked very hard on before, or are working very hard on now?
Do you feel excited or nervous when you start something new? Why is that?
Do you think famous athletes can help make more people interested in sports? Why?