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A 13-Year-Old Just Landed the Gold in Women’s Street Skateboarding

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Nishiya Momiji of Japan has become one of youngest Olympic champions ever after seeing off another 13-year-old in the inaugural women’s competition.

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USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

The hosts must be counting their lucky stars that skateboarding made it onto the Olympic program in time for Tokyo 2020: Nishiya Momiji, 13, landed gold for Japan on Monday in the first-ever women’s street skateboarding final. Momiji saw off rival 13-year-old Rayssa Leal of Brazil, with another Japanese skater, Funa Nakayama, 16, completing the podium. Momiji’s win makes it two for two for the hosts in skateboarding so far after Yuto Horigome won Sunday’s men’s street final. At 13 years and 330 days old, Momiji is one of the youngest Olympic champions—the youngest ever was the American diver Marjorie Gestring, who won in 1936 at the age of 13 years and 268 days.

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