OLYMPIC GAMES | SKATEBOARDING
Skateboarder Nishiya becomes Olympics' second-youngest gold medallist
Japan's Momiji Nishiya took gold in the women's street skateboarding competition on Monday, becoming the second-youngest champion in Olympic history.
Thirteen-year-old Momiji Nishiya claimed the first Olympic gold medal in the women's skateboarding competition, the Japanese winning the street event in Tokyo on Monday.
Nishiya the second-youngest gold medallist in Olympic history
Nishiya, at the age of 13 years and 330 days, became the second-youngest Olympic gold medallist after American diver Marjorie Gestring took the top prize in the 1936 Games (13y 268d).
Her triumph completes a clean sweep for host nation Japan in the street event of the skateboarding – a sport introduced for these Games – after Yuto Horigome's success in the men's competition at Ariake Urban Sports Park on Sunday.
Nishiya kept her nerve after Rayssa Leal of Brazil failed to land her final jump – she would have been the youngest ever individual Olympic champion.
Having missed the landing with her first two tricks, Nishiya registered a score of 15.26 after nailing her final three attempts, bettering Leal's 14.64.
Nishiya's compatriot Funa Nakayama, 16, completed a podium which had an average age of just 14 years and 191 days – the youngest individual podium in Olympic history.
The field had opened up for the youngsters after world number one Pamela Rosa and fellow favourite Leticia Bufoni, both of Brazil, had dropped out in the preliminary heats.
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"I'm simply delighted"
"Very, very delighted! I'm simply delighted," a shy Nishiya beamed in a news conference. "I am so happy to be [the champion in my country]."
Leal said: "I'm very, very happy to make this dream come true. It's a dream for my parents and a dream for me to be here at the Olympics and fantastic to represent Brazil and to get this medal, and I had great fun."