By xajikh786123 
Paris — Coco Yoshizawa and Liz Akama secured gold and silver for Japan in women’s street skateboarding at the Paris Olympics on Sunday. Rayssa Leal of Brazil clinched bronze, marking her second medal in the sport. Japan’s victory follows their impressive performance in the inaugural Olympic street skateboarding event at the Tokyo Games, where they also claimed the top gold medals.
Akama held the lead after successfully landing her first two tricks, but Yoshizawa overtook her with an impressive slide down the big rails on her fourth attempt, earning a score of 96.49. This score propelled her past her teammate.
Yoshizawa remarked, “I wasn’t exactly thrilled, but I felt a sense of relief that I succeeded.
The trick, which drew audible gasps from the audience, was the highest-scoring move of the day.
At just 14 years old, Yoshizawa was the final skater to complete the competition and had already secured gold before her fifth trick. She performed it as a celebratory gesture, raising her arms in triumph as she skated toward her coach.
Akama initially took the lead in the finals with a score of 89.26 on her second run. The 15-year-old seemed poised to win after earning a 92.62 on her first trick, but Yoshizawa’s impressive performance in the final moments changed the outcome.
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The 16-year-old Leal, who had to deliver a strong performance in the preliminary round to advance to the finals, delivered another late surge in the final round to secure a medal, following her silver at the Tokyo Games. At 13, she became the youngest Brazilian to compete in the Olympics.
Leal, who gained 6.6 million Instagram followers after her standout performance in Tokyo, scored 92.88 on her second trick. Although she missed her next two attempts, she set up a thrilling conclusion to the competition.
“When I need to land a trick, I usually pull it off in the final round, and this time was no exception,” she said.
Leal raised her arms to energize the crowd, many of whom were waving Brazilian flags, before executing her final trick attempt, which scored 88.83.
It’s amazing to see how teens can reach such a high level in the Olympics,” she said.
China’s 14-year-old Cui Chenxi finished in fourth place, while Americans Poe Pinson and Paige Heyn secured the following positions. Funa Nakayama, who won bronze in Tokyo, ended up in seventh place after being unable to land any of her five tricks.
“I realized there were areas where I needed more practice and others where I was being too precise,” Nakayama said. “I need to reassess and avoid being overly fixated.”
Australian Chloe Covell finished last, also failing to land a trick.
The event took place at La Concorde Urban Park, an outdoor venue, and was the first skateboarding competition of the year. The men’s street competition was rescheduled from Saturday to Monday because of the rain.
When asked if she noticed the scenic views from the park, including the Eiffel Tower, Yoshizawa replied, “I was too focused on skateboarding to notice much. It was only when I was on the podium that I could truly appreciate the scenery.”