1.
gymnast; gymnastics athlete
A competitive athlete who performs gymnastics. Refers to those competing in artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and other gymnastics disciplines.
体操選手は体がとても柔らかい。
Gymnasts have very flexible bodies.
彼女は子どもの頃から体操選手を目指していた。
She had been aiming to become a gymnast since childhood.
日本の体操選手がオリンピックで金メダルを獲得し、国中が歓喜に沸いた。
A Japanese gymnast won a gold medal at the Olympics, and the whole country erupted in joy.
A compound of 体操 (gymnastics, calisthenics) and 選手 (athlete, player). Japan has a strong tradition in competitive gymnastics, particularly in men's artistic gymnastics.
Note that 体操 alone can also mean simple exercises or calisthenics (as in ラジオ体操), but in the compound 体操選手 it refers to competitive gymnastics.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 体操選手の演技: a gymnast's performance
- 体操選手として活躍する: to be active as a gymnast
- プロの体操選手: professional gymnast
- 元体操選手: former gymnast
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 選手: athlete — the general term for a competitive athlete
- 新体操選手: rhythmic gymnast — specifically rhythmic gymnastics
- 器械体操: apparatus gymnastics — gymnastics using equipment like bars, rings, etc.