How do the best skateboarders in the world prepare for a big competition like this week’s X-Games in Ventura, Calif.? Hear from Jagger Eaton, Dashawn Jordan and Bryce Wettstein on how they get their minds right before dropping in.
Australia’s Arisa Trew scored a 93.18 on her final run to win gold in women’s park skateboarding Tuesday at the Paris Olympics.
The 14-year-old Trew was in third place before she executed a superb third run, highlighted by a 540 — a trick with 1½ rotations in midair — to vault into first.
Japan’s Cocona Hiraki was in front through two rounds after scoring a 91.98 on her first run, but she had dropped to third going into her final chance. The 15-year-old responded with her best run of the day, a performance that had the crowd oohing with each of her completed tricks, to post a 92.63 and earn her second silver medal.
Hiraki was just 12 when she won silver when the sport debuted at the Tokyo Olympics.
Hiraki edged Britain’s Sky Brown, who earned a 92.31 on her third run to take bronze for the second Olympic medal for the 16-year-old. She became the country’s youngest medal winner in Tokyo when she also won bronze in the event at 13 years, 28 days old.
Brazil’s Dora Varella finished fourth at 89.14, and Heili Sirvio of Finland was fifth at 88.89.
American Bryce Wettstein, who blew bubbles as she was introduced and strummed a ukulele between runs, was sixth at 88.12.
Local
Tokyo gold medalist Japan’s Sakura Yosozumi, who is 22, did not qualify for the finals after posting a best score of 79.70 in the prelims to finish 10th.
“The feelings I had this time were different,” she said. “There were a lot of spectators, and I really wanted to defend my title. I was more nervous than last time, which affected my performance. My body didn’t move as I wanted, and I couldn’t do everything I planned.”
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
China’s Haohao Zheng finished 18th out of 22 skateboarders with a score of 63.19. At 11 years old, Zheng is the youngest athlete in the Paris Games and the youngest athlete ever to compete for China in the Olympics.
She said she wasn’t too nervous entering the competition, but that being the youngest competitor out there was a bit daunting.
“I’m quite scared of colliding with the other skaters because I feel smaller, and I could easily get pushed out,” she said. “I’m just trying my best to survive out there.”
