Japanese Momiji Nishiya, 13, clinched the Olympic title in the women’s street skateboarding competition and became the country’s youngest gold medal winner.
“I welled up in tears because I was beyond happy,” Nishiya said, describing the moment when she realized she had won gold.
Though Nishiya said she was “stressed out” after initially stumbling and missing key landings on her first two tricks, she landed her final three, earning 4.66 on her fourth, bringing her total above her Brazilian counterpart.
Bronze medalist Nakayama, who used to take the overnight bus to Tokyo from Toyama in central Japan just to practice skateboarding, said she hoped the Japanese skateboarders’ successes would encourage more young women to take up the sport.
“I want more rivals, which will make skating more fun,” she said.