HISTORICAL! Thirteen-Year-Old Skateboarder Shocks the World By Winning Gold at the Tokyo Olympics 2020

Records tumbled at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 with the first ever skateboarding event. What is essentially a pastime for teenagers became an official Olympic sport alongside karate, the other debuting sport. With that piece of history, Japanese skateboarder Momiji Nishiya also etched her name in history by winning gold.

Momji Nishiya makes history at the Tokyo Olympics 2020

Yesterday, the men’s street skateboarding event served as the debut of the sport at the Olympic stage, and while the winners etched themselves into history, they wouldn’t hold a candle to his thirteen-year-old Japanese girl who blazed the Ariake Sports Park today.

At 13, Momiji Nishiya becomes the second oldest Olympic medalist in history. The youngest remains Marjorie Gestring, an American diver who won gold at the 1936 Berlin Games. However, Momiji is the youngest Japanese medalist in the Olympics, beating out Funa Nakayama who clinched bronze at eighteen.

Nakayama’s bronze medal gives Japan two teenage medalists at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, giving the COVID-ravaged nation a moment to celebrate. Winning in their own backyard with the support of their fans, although it isn’t from inside the arenas, plays a big part in these athletes’ success.

With her victory, Japan’s gold medal tally sits at six, level with China. However, the Chinese contingent leads the table on overall medals. With the same focus and determination, Momiji Nishiya can kick-start the Japanese contingent’s efforts to make this year’s Olympics their own.

Silver and bronze medalists round of youngest ever medal podium

While Momiji Nishiya clinched gold, the silver medalist also made history in the skateboarding event. Rayssa Leal clinched silver, also at the shockingly young age of 13. The Brazilian skateboarder chatted with American legend Tony Hawk ahead of the Olympics, and definitely made him proud.

Winning the bronze medal at eighteen is no easy feat either. Funa Nakayama added another medal to the Japanese tally as she finished third behind the Brazilian and her compatriot, Nishiya. With that win, the Japanese contingent picked up three medals in the debuting event. Yuto Horigome picked up gold in the men’s event with Brazil’s Kelvin Hoefler coming second and the US’ Jagger Eaton picking up bronze.

The skateboarding events return on August 4th and 5th with the women’s park and men’s park events, respectively.

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