PARIS — After Australia’s Arisa Trew scored a 93.18 on her final run in women’s park skateboarding Tuesday at the Paris Olympics, she knew she was heading to the podium.
The wait to see exactly where she would land was excruciating.
It was only when a 92.63 popped up for Japan’s Cocona Hiraki to end the competition that the 14-year-old Trew knew she was taking home gold.
“When I realized I’d won, I was just like in so much shock and so excited and happy,” she said.
At 14 years and 88 days old, Trew became the youngest Australian to win a medal. The previous youngest was Sandra Morgan, who was 14 years and 184 days old when she won gold in the women’s 4x100 freestyle relay in 1956.
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.
“On my first run, I fell on one of the tricks that I had been landing like every time,” she said. “So that was kind of annoying. So I just knew it was all or nothing after that because I just had to land a really good run just to make it into the podium. And on my third run I had to secure my spot, so I just brought everything out.”
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 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.
Brown was struggling with a shoulder injury after a fall in the prelims.
“I think it popped out like real quick,” she said. “It just felt throbby and sore but I’m just happy to forget it now.”
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.
Wettstein spent time with a young girl who was a huge fan of hers before entering the mixed zone, and even played a song she wrote called “Perfect Moment” for the girl and other adoring fans.
Tuesday wasn’t exactly a perfect moment for the 20-year-old Wettstein, but she cherished her experience with the little girl.
“I think a moment like that means more than the world, but the universe,” she said. “A lot of times I feel like it’s hard when you don’t get something exactly that you planned and then you see it in every possible perspective and say: ‘Wow, I am grateful for that.’ So I think it means everything to me.”
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.”
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 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.”
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