LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images
The women’s street final in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo became a battle of the 13-year-olds as Momiji Nishiya edged out Rayssa Leal for gold Monday.
It’s a men’s and women’s double for Japan after Yuto Horigome took first place Sunday.
#TokyoOlympics @NBCOlympics
HISTORY MADE ✅ <br><br>At the age of 13, Japan’s Momiji Nishiya wins the first-EVER Olympic gold medal in women’s skateboarding. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/TokyoOlympics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#TokyoOlympics</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympicHERstory?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#OlympicHERstory</a> <a href=”https://t.co/3OkozpHGoZ”>pic.twitter.com/3OkozpHGoZ</a>
Funa Nakayama joined her compatriot on the podium to give the host country two medalists.
Women’s Street Final
Gold: Momiji Nishiya, Japan (15.26)
Silver: Rayssa Leal, Brazil (14.64)
Bronze: Funa Nakayama, Japan (14.49)
4th: Alexis Sablone, United States (13.57)
5th: Roos Zwetsloot, Netherlands (11.26)
6th: Zeng Wenhui, China (9.66)
7th: Margielyn Didal, Philippines (7.52)
8th: Aori Nishimura, Japan (6.92)
Expectations were high for Pamela Rosa entering the Olympics. The 22-year-old Brazilian is the No. 1 women’s street skater in World Skate’s official rankings, and she was a gold medalist in street at the 2019 World Skateboarding Championship.
In a surprising development, Rosa was unable to qualify for the final. She suffered three falls in the best-trick portion, and her two completed tricks weren’t good enough to propel her up the leaderboard. She placed 10th with a combined score of 10.06.
Leticia Bufoni will likely be disappointed with her result as well. The No. 4-ranked street skater finished one position ahead of Rosa and missed out on the final.
With Bufoni and Rosa out, it was on Leal’s shoulders to carry the flag for Brazil. Despite her age, she wasn’t overawed by the occasion. She also bounced back nicely from falling in the first round of best trick, helping to set up a dramatic finish.
#TokyoOlympics @NBCOlympics
Imagine being 13 years old and you’re competing at the OLYMPICS?<br><br>That’s the case for 13-year-old Rayssa Leal of Brazil. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/TokyoOlympics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#TokyoOlympics</a> <a href=”https://t.co/L384We6ziv”>pic.twitter.com/L384We6ziv</a>
With one round left in best trick, 0.25 points separated the top three skaters, and the trio of Nishiya, Leal and Nakayama were the final three skaters to go.
With Leal and Nakayama failing to land a trick, Nishiya ultimately didn’t need to do anything to secure gold. But she earned 3.43 points anyway to pad her final tally.
#TokyoOlympics @NBCOlympics
13-year-old Momiji Nishiya of Japan made history by becoming the first Olympic champion EVER in women’s skateboarding ????<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/TokyoOlympics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#TokyoOlympics</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympicHERstory?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#OlympicHERstory</a> <a href=”https://t.co/R27wkYz00g”>pic.twitter.com/R27wkYz00g</a>
The native of Osaka, Japan, dominated best trick. She and Leal were the only two skaters to hit three tricks, and she totaled 12.24 points from that segment of the event.
Alexis Sablone was the lone American in the final. With 4.53 points from the street run, she needed something special in the best-trick category to climb onto the podium.
Sablone fell in the last two rounds, leaving her unable to chase down Nakayama for bronze.
In general, adding skateboarding to the offerings at the Olympics provided the sport an opportunity to showcase its best talent to an audience that may otherwise not watch the X Games or world championships.
It’s difficult to imagine a better outcome for street skating than having two teenagers lead the way in Tokyo. Nishiya and Leal are poised to shine for years to come.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
