Japan Dominates, Rayssa Leal Wins Second Olympic Medal In Women’s Skateboard Street

The first skateboarding event of the Paris 2024 Olympics is in the books, with the women’s street final concluding Sunday evening in Paris.

In a break from the rainy weather that kicked off the Games during Friday’s Opening Ceremony—and forced the postponement of Saturday’s men’s skateboard street final to Monday—Sunday was hot and sunny in Paris.

It was a long day for the eight women who made Sunday’s final out of the 22 who started the prelims at noon Paris time. After a three-hour qualifier during the hottest part of the day, the final kicked off at 5:00 p.m. CEST.

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) could qualify up to three athletes in each of the four Olympic skateboarding events (men’s and women’s street and park).

Japan, which boasted three of the top four skaters in the world in the lead-up to Paris, maxed out its allotted quotas, and all three women—Coco Yoshizawa, 14; Liz Akama, 15; and Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Funa Nakayama, 19—made it through to the final.

Rounding out the field of eight in the final were China’s Chenxi Cui, 14; Australia’s Chloe Covell, 14; the USA’s Paige Heyn, 16; Brazil’s Rayssa Leal, 16, who was the Tokyo 2020 silver medalist; and the USA’s Poe Pinson, 19.

Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Momiji Nishiya, 16, was ranked seventh in the world ahead of Paris 2024, but as Yoshizawa, Akama and Nakayama were ranked Nos. 1, 2 and 4, respectively, Nishiya could not earn a qualifying place for Paris.

Similarly, Japan’s Yumeka Oda, 17, was ranked fifth and also bumped out of qualifying position.

Yoshizawa and Akama took gold and silver in Paris with scores of 272.75 and 265.95, respectively.

With Yoshizawa’s win, Japan has now taken gold in this event on both occasions it’s been held at the Olympics.

Leal took bronze to become, for now, the only female skateboarder with two Olympic medals. (Park skateboarders Kokona Hiraki and Sakura Yosozumi of Japan and Sky Brown of Great Britain could join Leal in that rarefied air if they can make the podium in their event next week.)

Yoshizawa and Akama were the top two qualifiers, respectively, in Sunday’s women’s street prelims. Coming into Paris 2024, they were also ranked No. 1 (Yoshizawa) and No. 2 (Akama) in the world.

Leal was ranked No. 3, making for an Olympic podium that perfectly followed the world rankings prior to the Games.

In the press conference following the final, Yoshizawa and Akuna were asked why they think Japan is so strong in women’s skateboarding.

“The reason why we are very strong is the Japanese people are diligent and earnest and make efforts toward their goals and dreams,” Akama said through an interpreter.

“The environment in Japan is very good for practicing and also the people who aren’t as good, we can teach each other, and we can be stronger,” Yoshizawa said, also through an interpreter.

At just 16, Leal is already a veteran of the women’s street discipline, and she’s developed a reputation as a closer. At the start of the fifth and final best trick attempts, Leal was sitting off the podium in fifth.

But she put on a clinic, perfectly landing her kickflip Smith grind to bump up into third place with a score of 253.37, which none of the four skaters not already on the podium could top.

The crowd taking in the women’s street final at the Place de la Concorde was easily composed of one-third Brazilian fans, and when Leal scored 71.66 on her first of two runs and then a 92.88 on her second trick attempt and an 88.83 on her fifth, they erupted with cheers, waving a sea of Brazil flags.

Leal had only landed one trick, which meant she would need to land the fifth successfully to have any chance of making the podium.

She hadn’t practiced the kickflip Smith grind on the Olympic course. “I was kind of afraid; I won’t lie to you,” she said with a smile. But she consulted with her team and, though it “wasn’t easy,” she decided to go big or go home on her final attempt.

Does Leal feel that she performs better under pressure?

“Well, I think that I can perform well under pressure but not always, actually. But when I need a trick, I always get it, and this time was no different,” Leal said through an interpreter. “It is true that somehow I put myself under pressure, because I want to give my best and perform well and show all the tricks I have.”

Akama wasn’t able to land her fifth trick attempt, which secured the gold medal for Yoshizawa.

The scoring structure for street skateboarding has changed from what was used at the Tokyo Olympics.

ForbesHow Skateboarding Is Scored At The OlympicsBy Michelle Bruton

In Tokyo, skaters also had two 45-second runs and five trick attempts, with each scored on a scale of 0 to 10. The total score was the sum of the best four scores from any of the runs or trick attempts.

In Paris, however, each run or trick is scored between 0 and 100. The total score factors in the skater’s best run out of two and two best trick attempts, for a total possible score of 300.

The rule change was made in part to ensure that both runs and trick attempts count toward an athlete’s final score. (At the Tokyo Games, for instance, men’s street gold medalist Yuto Horigome had his two lowest scores in his two runs, so his final score was based only on tricks.)

The men’s street final will begin with prelims at noon CEST on Monday, July 29.

Women’s Skateboard Street Results

1. Coco Yoshizawa (JPN): 272.75
2. Liz Akama (JPN): 265.95
3. Rayssa Leal (BRA): 253.37
4. Chenxi Cui (CHN): 241.56
5. Poe Pinson (USA): 222.34
6. Paige Heyn (USA): 163.23
7. Funa Nakayama (JPN): 79.77
8. Chloe Covell (AUS): 70.33