Meet Japan’s teenage Olympic champion Momiji Nishiya – the 13-year-old girl who just won skateboarding gold at Tokyo 2020

Jul 27 , 2021

Momiji Nishiya of Japan is the second-youngest champion in Olympic history, the youngest Japanese Olympic champion and the first-ever female skateboarding Olympic champion. Photo: Reuters

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Nishiya’s win makes her the second-youngest champion in Olympic history, Japan’s youngest champion and the first female skateboarding champion

Osaka-born Nishiya beat out Brazil’s Rayssa Leal, is a foodie who loves beef barbecue, and uses a regular stance – unlike Tony Hawk, who skates ‘goofy’

For skateboarding’s Olympic debut, it was a head-to-head battle between the youngest Olympians of all time. And as it turns out, the kids aren’t just all right ... they’re awesome!

Rayssa Leal of Brazil, Momiji Nishiya of Japan and Funa Nakayama of Japan pose with their medals during the medal ceremony for women’s street skateboarding at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on July 26,. Photo: Reuters

A 13-year-old skateboarder from Japan, Momiji Nishiya, took home the gold at the Tokyo 2020 games on Monday after outscoring Brazil’s Rayssa Leal at the city’s Ariake Urban Sports Park. A 4.66-point bigspin to frontside boardslide put Nishiya into the lead, while her final backslide boardslide delivered her the gold.

But other than her slick tricks, here’s what we know about the teenage trailblazer ...

She thought “it’d be nice” to get a medal

Speaking to reporters at the Tokyo Games after she won gold, the hometown favourite said, “I wasn’t too worried about getting a medal. It was like, it’d be nice if I can get one.”

Momiji Nishiya of Japan poses with her gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on July 26. Photo: Reuters

Nishiya’s score of 15.26 secured her win, as well as the honour of being the second-youngest champion in Olympic history. She is also officially the youngest Japanese Olympic champion and the first ever female Olympic skateboarding champion.

It certainly does sound pretty “nice”, although that might be an understatement.