Japanese Idol Group Members Train Backflips With Olympic Gold Medalist
Listen to the story
The Japanese idol group Timelesz has three members known as the "backflip trio." They are Hashimoto Masaki, Inomata Shuto, and Shinozuka Daiki.
A backflip is a difficult move where a person flips their whole body backward in the air. The three members decided to learn this move together.
To improve their skills, they trained with a special instructor: a gold medalist from the men's team gymnastics event.
This gold medalist has won some of the highest honors in the sport of gymnastics at a major international level.
During the training, the gold medalist watched one of the members perform a backflip closely.
He gave the member a strong compliment, saying, "You can already do it well." This surprised many people because gymnastics moves usually take a long time to master.
The story became popular after it appeared on a TV program called 'Timelesz Familia,' which follows the group's activities.
Fans reacted with excitement online, praising the members' hard work and dedication to learning something so physically challenging.
Some fans also joked that they felt a little jealous, since the members trained directly with a top-level athlete.
This event has become one of the most talked-about moments for Timelesz fans this week.
Vocabulary8 words
- idol group
- a group of young singers who are very popular in Japan
- backflip
- a jump where the body flips backward in the air
- gold medalist
- someone who won first place in a big sports competition
- gymnastics
- a sport with jumps, flips and balance moves
- compliment
- kind words said to praise someone
- athlete
- a person who is very good at sports
- trio
- a group of three people
- dedication
- strong effort and focus on something
Quiz
Answer key
1. Hashimoto Masaki, Inomata Shuto, and Shinozuka Daiki 2. He said the member could already do it well 3. A TV show called 'Timelesz Familia'
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Japanese idol group Timelesz has three members known as the "_____" trio.
They are Hashimoto Masaki, Inomata Shuto, and Shinozuka _____.
A backflip is a difficult move where a person flips their whole body _____ in the air.
To improve their skills, they trained with a special _____: a gold medalist from men's team gymnastics.
This gold medalist has won some of the highest honors in the sport of _____.
During the training, the gold medalist watched one of the members perform a backflip _____.
He gave the member a strong _____, saying, "You can already do it well."
The story became popular after it appeared on a TV program called 'Timelesz _____.'
Fans reacted with excitement online, praising the members' hard work and _____.
Some fans also joked that they felt a little jealous, since the members trained directly with a top-level _____.
Discussion questions
- Do you think it is surprising that idol group members practiced backflips with a gold medalist? Why or why not?
- Have you ever learned a new physical skill that was very difficult? How did it feel?
- Why do you think fans reacted so strongly to this news?
- Would you like to try learning a backflip yourself? Why or why not?