Two 13-year-olds have clinched the gold and silver medals in the women's street final of skateboarding.
Momiji Nishiya of Japan celebrates her gold medal. Photo: AFP
Momiji Nishiya of Japan won the gold medal while Rayssa Leal of Brazil took silver.
Funa Nakayama who is 16 won the bronze medal for the host nation.
The street event is notable for the youth of its competitors - the average age of the finalists was 14.
Nishiya, winner of a world championship silver in Rome last month, moved into gold medal position after scoring 4.66 points with her penultimate trick to total 15.26, displacing Leal, who finished with 14.64.
At 13 years and 330 days old Nishiya becomes one of the youngest ever Olympic champions.
During the heats Leal managed two flawless runs, while China's Zeng Wenhui, 16, impressed by landing technically complicated tricks that impressed commentators.
Also making the cut were Roos Zwetsloot from the Netherlands and Margielyn Didal of the Philippines.
Skaters from Brazil and Japan have dominated street skateboarding since the sport debuted at the Olympics on Sunday.
Japan's Yuto Horigome made history on Sunday by winning the first gold medal of skateboarding at the Olympics, landing a series of technical tricks while braving Tokyo's relentless heat. Brazil's Kelvin Hoefler won silver in the contest.
Brazil's Leal has said her skateboarding career began in earnest six years ago after Tony Hawk shared a video of her skating in a fairy costume. The two met up last week at the Olympic venue, with Leal posting an Instagram video of the two fist-bumping on the side of the street course.
On Monday athletes competed in front of empty stands without roars of approval from fans when they landed difficult moves.
The lack of spectators - enforced due to an increase in Covid-19 cases in the capital - affected Japan's Aori Nishimura, but she said she accepted it as part of these unusual Games.
"Even without spectators, I'm trying to enjoy the mood here and skate my own way," she said.
- Reuters
