Twelve and Thirteen-Year-Old Olympians Create History at the Tokyo Olympics 2020- Become the Youngest Medalists Since 1936
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TOKYO, JAPAN – AUGUST 04: Bronze medalist Sky Brown of Team Great Britain (right), Gold medalist Sakura Yosozumi of Team Japan (center) and Silver medalist Kokona Hiraki of Team Japan (left) celebrate after the Women’s Skateboarding Park Finals on day twelve of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on August 04, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 has shattered records and make legends out of obscure athletes. In skateboarding, one of the debuting sports at this year’s Games has drawn a ton of attention. At today’s Women’s Park finals, we’ve witnessed the youngest medalists since the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
Skateboarding wonder-kids make history at the Tokyo Olympics 2020
via Getty
TOKYO, JAPAN – AUGUST 04: Bronze medalist Sky Brown of Team Great Britain (right), Gold medalist Sakura Yosozumi of Team Japan (center) and Silver medalist Kokona Hiraki of Team Japan (left) celebrate after the Women’s Skateboarding Park Finals on day twelve of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on August 04, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Before we get to the actual history-making moment, let’s see who won gold at the women’s park finals. Nineteen-year-old Sakura Yosozumi clinched gold in the first ever women’s park skateboarding finals, etching her name into the history books. While winning a bronze at nineteen is commendable, the athletes she beat made even bigger history.
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Kokona Hiraki, 12, clinched silver and became one of the youngest medalist at the Olympics. While Momiji Nishiya and Rayssa Leah shocked the world with their medal wins, Hiraki has surpassed them. But she wasn’t alone, as Great Britain’s Sky Brown also landed on the podium with bronze.
The women's park skateboarding final included silver medalist Kokona Hiraki (12 years, 343 days) and bronze medalist Sky Brown (13 years, 28 days).
They're the youngest medalists in any event since 12-year-old Noël Vandernotte was the coxswain for the French rowing team in 1936. pic.twitter.com/1P9vF8HkPh
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 4, 2021
At 13, she also enters the history books as one of the youngest Olympians of all time. Along with Hiraki, they create of the youngest podiums and are the youngest medalists since 1936. At that year’s Games, Noël Vandernotte won bronze for the French rowing team as the coxswain.
The youngest person to win an Olympic medal in #TeamGB history 🇬🇧
An unbelievable achievement from the extraordinary Sky Brown 🥉#Tokyo2020
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 4, 2021
Records keep tumbling and crashing at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, and it all began with the skateboarding championships. Along with Momiji Nishiya and Rayssa Leah, Kokona Hiraki and Sky Browne have become legends at the youngest possible age.
Will skateboarding return in 2024 and 2028?
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With the Olympics heading to Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028, we can’t help but wonder if we’ll see the debuting sports make a comeback. While karate won’t make it to Paris or LA, will skateboarding- one of the unlikeliest sports of all time- make it to these gigantic Olympiads?
For the aforementioned names, the Paris Olympics 2024 will be their chance to extend the medal tally. Skateboarding will return to the Olympics along with new sports like breakdancing, surfing and sports climbing, sports that debuted in Tokyo. Unfortunately, baseball won’t feature in Paris.
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In Los Angeles, there are talks of cricket, American football or flag football, baseball and disc sports showing up at the Olympics. While cricket would be a terrific addition to the Olympics, Brisbane 2032 would be a more ideal location, at least for the legendary Australian cricket team.
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