Japan’s Coco Yoshizawa, 14, Wins Olympic Skateboard Gold
Japanese 14-year-old Coco Yoshizawa clinched the women’s street skateboard gold at the Paris Olympics in a thrilling all-teenage final. Competing at Place de La Concorde, Yoshizawa outperformed her peers with a score of 272.75 from her three best runs.
Liz Akama, also from Japan and only 15 years old, secured the silver with a score of 265.95. Brazilian sensation Rayssa Leal took home the bronze, scoring 253.37, well ahead of China’s Cui Chenxi, who finished fourth. At 16, Leal was the oldest among the medallists, having previously won silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
The sun returned to Paris on Sunday, transforming the temporary arena into a humid cauldron after heavy rains had postponed the men’s event the previous day. The competition format allowed skaters to fall and not register a score up to four times in their seven attempts.
Yoshizawa’s performance was a masterclass in precision and risk-taking. Going into her penultimate trick with two high scores, she needed a third to secure her lead. She chose a high-risk ride down the handrail and executed it flawlessly. Even with her competitors still having one more run, Yoshizawa celebrated by raising her board above her head, confident in her victory.
Re-reported from the article originally published in ALJAZEERA.
