Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2021: Japan’s Yuto Horigome has won the inaugural men’s street skateboarding event at the Olympic Games in his hometown.
After a gruelling seven rounds, the Japanese skateboarder took the title in style with a score of 37.18 at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on a sweltering Sunday.
Brazil’s Kelvin Hoefler secured the silver medal with 36.15, while Jagger Eaton of USA clinched the bronze with 35.35 to complete the first Olympic podium in men's street skateboarding history.
The athletes took two runs over the street course and then performed five tricks, with the best four scores from the seven counting towards the total.
Four-time world champion and pre-event favourite Nyjah Huston of the USA fell repeatedly while trying to land tricks and finished the final in seventh place with 26.10 from only three scores.
As Huston wilted, 2021 world champion Horigome remained cool and thrived in the environment, executing his toughest tricks.
In a final that was full of thrills and spills, the 22-year-old Japanese was the only skater in the final to score nothing but nines in all four of his tricks that counted.
Born in Tokyo near the Olympic Games venue, Horigome is now based in Los Angeles, California – a move that has paid off with the first gold medal in the history of Olympic skateboarding.
Skateboarding is making its Olympic debut with four events - men's and women's street and park.