Gold medal winner Momiji Nishiya of Japan smiles after winning the women's street skateboarding finals at the 2020 Summer Olympics on July 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.Ben Curtis/The Associated Press
Japanese teenager Momiji Nishiya won the gold medal in the women’s street skateboarding competition on Monday, adding to the host nation’s gold haul at the event.
Rayssa Leal of Brazil won silver and Funa Nakayama of Japan clinched the bronze.
All three medallists are in their teens, with Nishiya and Leal both 13. Nakayama is 16.
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Though she initially stumbled and missed the landings on her first two tricks, Nishiya nailed her last three, bringing her total above Brazilian prodigy Leal.
Nishiya’s victory came after Japan’s Yuto Horigome won the men’s skateboarding gold on Sunday. It was the first gold medal of the sport in the Olympics.
On Monday athletes competed again in front of empty stands without roars of approval from fans when they landed difficult moves, as spectators were kept away in Tokyo due to anti-COVID-19 measures.
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