12-year-old skateboarder Kokona Hiraki becomes Japan’s youngest Olympic medalist

Aug 05, 2021 | News On Japan

Aug 05, 2021 (kron4.com) - The Olympic debut of skateboarding is quickly becoming an all-Japanese affair.

Making it three gold medals from three events, with just one more left to go, Sakura Yosozumi led a Japanese 1-2 in the women’s park event on Wednesday, solidifying the host country’s dominance in the sport’s Olympic debut.

Kokona Hiraki took silver and, at 12 years old, became Japan’s youngest ever Olympic medalist. Sky Brown, already a skating superstar at 13, prevented a Japanese medal sweep by taking the bronze, making her the youngest person to win a medal for Britain at the Olympics.

Yosozumi won with a trick-filled first run that scored 60.09, making her the only competitor to break 60 points in the event at the Ariake Urban Sports Park.

That run immediately piled pressure on the seven other finalists to dislodge her. They all failed.

Before dropping into the huge skate bowl, Yosozumi asked her nervous mother to give her some space and steeled herself.

“I’m going to nail this,” the 2018 world champion said she told herself. “I’m going to show off my tricks.”

Wow, did she. Hiraki and Brown, too. Their acrobatic derring-do and the sisterly camaraderie between all the competitors underscored why organizers wanted the inclusive, youthful sport in the Olympics. Skaters celebrated each other’s runs with hugs and consoled each other after falls, giving the event the feel of a skate among friends.

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