Team GB’s history-maker! 13-year-old Sky Brown – Britain’s youngest ever Olympian – remarkably claims BRONZE medal in the park skateboarding after producing perfect final run under huge pressure on her debut in Tokyo
Teenage skateboarder Sky Brown became Britain’s youngest Olympic medallist on Wednesday – despite being edged out from gold by the Japanese challenge.
Brown, who at 13 years and 28 days old is the youngest Briton ever to compete for the nation at an Olympics, left it all on her third and final run, after falling in her first two routines.
She was overwhelmed with relief when nailing her routine third time around, to leap above Japan’s Misugu Okamoto into bronze medal position. Virtually the entire field of competitors surrounded Brown and embraced her as she dissolved into tears. When she emerged from the huddle, it was clear that she was delighted.
Sky Brown, 13, made history by securing bronze medal in the park skateboarding in Tokyo
Brown finished behind Japanese duo Sakura Yosozumi (C) and Kokona Hiraki (L) on Wednesday
Brown celebrates with the Great Britain flag after making history at the Olympic Games
The Team GB youngster reacts after making history after producing an immense final run
At that stage, her medal seemed in grave jeopardy. Still to go on her last routine was Okamoto – the world No 1, who beat her to the world title in Sao Paulo.
But Okamoto fell and was devastated as she lay on the track. Her opponents shouldered her from the track. Brown, the subject of intense attention across the globe before this competition, had taken bronze.
After Okamoto nailed the heats, it seemed like she was the big danger. But Sakura Yosozumi was the one who staked a huge claim, with her first score of 60.09 – which was always going to take some beating.
The 13-year-old can’t quite believe it after pulling off the perfect final run with the pressure on
Brown showed no signs of nerves whatsoever on her Olympics debut on Wednesday
Brown immediately realised what the Japanese had achieved and ran to embrace her even before the score flashed up. The two are clearly close and spent some of the final together watching others compete. It is a different kind of competitiveness in this sport.
Twice, Brown fell as she attempted to match Yosozumi, But each time she could not complete the course. Her first run still managed to put her into third place but she was out of the medals a she went down for the third and last time
She succeeded, despite the blistering heat here. It is the hottest day of the Tokyo Olympics with temperature at the Ariake Urban Sports Park of 33 celcius, with a 90 per cent humidity.
Team GB’s teenage star hugs France’s Madeleine Larcheron during her heat on Wednesday
Her routine included her signature ‘frontside 540’ which entails one and a half spins. Her ability to repeatedly lean while she span – ‘corking it out’ as it is known in the sport – also put her well ahead of the field.
She has surpassed the summer British record of Margery Hinton, who was 13 years and 43 days when she competed in swimming at the 1928 Games. British figure skater Cecilia Colledge was 15 when she won figure skating silver in 1936.
Brown is also the youngest Olympic medallist of any nationality since Inge Sorensen of Denmark, who was 12 years 24 days when she won bronze in the 200m breaststroke in 1936.
Brown qualified for the final of the park skateboarding gold with one run to spare