Japan’s Coco Yoshizawa, 14, wins street skateboard gold at Paris Olympics

Teenager Coco Yoshizawa took the skateboarding Olympic gold medal at the historic Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Coco Yoshizawa with gold Olympic medal.
Japan's gold medallist Coco Yoshizawa stands on the podium during the victory ceremony for the women's street skateboarding event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris, France on July 28, 2024 [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]

Japanese 14-year-old Coco Yoshizawa has won women’s street skateboard gold at the Paris Olympics in an all-teenage final.

Fellow Japanese contender Liz Akama took silver with Brazilian Rayssa Leal collecting bronze at Place de La Concorde on Sunday.

Yoshizawa racked up 272.75 points from her three best runs.

Akama, herself only aged 15, collected 265.95 for second and Leal finished on 253.37, comfortably ahead of fourth-placed Cui Chenxi of China.

Leal, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics last time out, was the oldest of the three medallists in the French capital at 16.

Three skateboaders on Olympic dias.
Gold medallist Japan’s Coco Yoshizawa (centre), silver medallist Japan’s Liz Akama (left) and bronze medallist Brazil’s Rayssa Leal stand on the podium during the victory ceremony for the women’s street skateboarding event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde on July 28, 2024 [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]

After the deluge that forced the postponement of the men’s event the previous day, the sun returned Sunday and the temporary arena became a humid cauldron.

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Skaters can afford to fall and not register a score up to four times in their seven attempts.

Yoshizawa went into her penultimate trick with two big scores but needing a third to complete her total. She still went for a high-risk ride down the handrail, and nailed it.

Even though all her rivals had one more run, she raised her board above her head in triumph.

The skateboarding resumes on Monday with the men’s street event postponed from Saturday.

With defending Olympic champion Yuto Horigome, Sora Shirai and 14-year-old Ginwoo Onodera, Japan could again dominate.

Coco Yoshizawa skateboarding at Olympics 2024.
Japan’s Coco Yoshizawa competes in the women’s street skateboarding final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]
Source: News Agencies

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