Japan’s Sakura Yosozumi claimed the gold medal and Kokonain Hiraki won the silver in the first ever women’s Olympic park skateboarding event Wednesday—and settled for good the question of which country is the best at skateboarding in 2021.
Sky Brown, the 13-year-old phenom who skates for the U.K. but was born in Japan, won bronze.
Of the nine medals in skateboarding awarded at the Tokyo Summer Olympics so far, five have gone to Japan—including all three golds.
Just a little over a week ago, Japan claimed the first two gold medals in the inaugural skateboarding events at the Olympics. Tokyo native Yuto Horigome, 22, took gold on July 25 in the men’s street skateboarding event. In the women’s event on July 26, Momiji Nishiya, became Japan’s youngest Olympic champion at the age of 13. Her teammate Funa Nakayama earned bronze.
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The U.S. has claimed just one medal: Jagger Eaton earned the bronze in men’s park skating.
Yosozumi, 19, went into the Olympic contest ranked as world No. 2. She’s been steadily racking up wins on the world stage, taking first place at the Dew Tour Park Final in Iowa in May.
Hiraki is just 12 years old and one of the youngest Olympic medalists ever.
Misugu Okamoto, 13, is ranked world No. 1 and came first during the qualifying rounds, but just missed a medal after falling at the end of her last two runs.
The medal haul of young Japanese skaters stands in stark contrast to Japan’s mostly negative attitude towards skateboarders: no-skateboarding signs are common on the street—including one spotted just outside Ariake Sports Park, the Olympic skating venue in Tokyo. Skateboarders can get hassled by police officers or security guards for just carrying their skateboards around.
One more skateboarding event remains, the men’s park skating competition, scheduled for Thursday.
Read more about the Tokyo Olympics:
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- Motherhood Could Have Cost Olympian Allyson Felix. She Wouldn’t Let It
- Simone Biles’ Olympic Team Final Withdrawal Could Help Athletes Put Their Mental Health First
- ‘Unapologetic and Unafraid.’ Sue Bird Stares Down Olympic Glory in Tokyo and Equity Off the Court
- Meet 6 Heroes Who Helped Battle COVID-19 Before Competing in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics
- Here’s How Many Medals Every Country Has Won at the Tokyo Summer Olympics So Far
- 48 Athletes to Watch at the Tokyo Olympics
- The Olympic Refugee Team Was Created to Offer Hope. Some Athletes Are Running Away From It
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