13-year-old Momiji Nishiya becomes Japan’s youngest Olympic champion
July 26, 2021 04:08 pm
Momiji Nishiya made history at the age of just 13 on Monday as she became the first women’s Olympic street skateboarding champion.
A day after Yuto Horigome won the men’s competition for the host nation, Nishiya doubled up for Japan as she triumphed ahead of Brazil’s Rayssa Leal, also 13.
The sport, making its Olympic debut, has already taken these Games by storm and the sight of these two youngster battling it out for gold only added to the drama at the Ariake Urban Sports Park.
Nishiya finished with a score of 15.26 compared to 14.64 for Leal, who was looking to become the youngest ever Olympic champion but instead had to settle for being the youngest medallist in 85 years.
Japan’s Funa Nakayama, 16, completed an all-teenage podium with a score of 14.64.
“I’m really happy,” an understated Nishiya said.
With skateboarding making its debut at the Tokyo Games, Nishiya is the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
She is also the youngest athlete to win an Olympic gold medal for Japan. The previous record was set by swimmer Kyoko Iwasaki at the Barcelona Games in 1992, when she became the youngest swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal at 14.
Nishiya fell on her first two attempts in the best trick portion of the finals before bouncing back to surge into the lead.
“I didn’t think I was going to be able to win, halfway through,” she said in a televised interview with NHK shortly after the results were announced. “But the other skaters were encouraging me so I felt like I could go on.”
-Agencies
