Paris, France, July 28, 2024: Aged just 14, Japanese skateboarder Coco Yoshizawa romped to the women’s street title at La Concorde 3 in Paris on Sunday.
Yoshizawa scored a total of 272.75 points from her best run (86.80) and the two best of her five tricks (96.49 and 89.46) to finish ahead of 15-year-old team mate Liz Akama (265.95) and Brazil’s Rayssa Leal (253.37) – a veteran at 16.
China’s Cui Chenxi was fourth (241.56) and a third Japanese rider, Funa Nakayama, was seventh with 79.77 after failing to land any of her five tricks.
The new Olympic champion said her strategy was to go for broke rather than playing safe – and this had paid dividends.
"I knew that, if I wanted to win, I had to go for the most difficult tricks. I didn't aim for second or third place; I aimed for the top spot with my highest difficulty moves,” she said.
"I wasn't very nervous during the prelims but, in the finals, knowing I was leading made me anxious. However, I focused on sticking to my plan and executing the tricks I wanted to."
Yoshizawa said the atmosphere at La Concorde had played its part in a memorable and golden occasion.
"The crowd, especially the support from people who had come all the way from Japan, really boosted our spirits. Even though there were many Brazilian supporters, knowing we had our own fans here was empowering."
Her sights are already set on defending this women’s street title at Los Angeles in 2028, when she will still be in her teens.
"Winning this gold medal is astonishing, and it feels like my efforts have paid off. I'll carry this confidence into future competitions, including the next Olympics in Los Angeles. I’ll continue to improve and aim for success in Los Angeles, so please keep supporting me."
Silver medal-winner Akama added: "Although Japan’s skateboarding environment might not be as good as overseas, Japanese athletes are very diligent and serious and they have a strong determination to pursue their dreams, which makes us very strong."