Rayssa Leal sweeps season with Rio street skate Super Crown 

Brazilian youngster Rayssa Leal continued her charge at the top of the women’s street skateboarding scene by winning her first SLS Super Crown Championships at Rio’s Olympic Park on Sunday (6 November).

The 14-year-old Brazilian pulled a huge overall score of 21.1 on her home course with a combination of big tricks and sharp strategy. This latest victory sees her sweep all four of this year’s SLS street skating events. Real was followed onto the podium by Nakayama Funa of Japan (20.8 - second) and her countrywoman Nishiya Momiji (19.2 - third).

“I had some trouble with my leg early in the competition, but I was able to push through it,” said Leal, after winning her first-ever Super Crown title. “I decided to switch tricks for strategy late in the competition – and I thought it was better to go with the back smith grind as my best option. 

“I’m so happy that it worked out,” added the Brazilian superstar.

American Poe Pinson, a talented rookie on the tour who fell hard on her last two single trick attempts, finished just out of the medals in fourth (16.7)

The competition criteria consisted of the best of two course runs and the top two single tricks of four attempts. The top four finishers (Leal, Pinson, Nishiya and Nakayama -- the only competitor from yesterday's Last Chance Qualifier) moved through to a super final. 

And it was Leal, silver medalist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and winner of this year's X Games in Chiba, who upped the tempo and brought the home crowd to its feet with a huge gap-out-back-smith grind on the largest feature of the course to earn a solo trick score of 7.4.

And it brought the house down.

Men’s street stars line up for Rio showdown

The SLS Super Crown concludes later on Sunday in Rio with the men’s competition.

The four toppers from Saturday’s marathon Last Chance Qualifier (Canadian Ryan Decenzo, Americans Jagger Eaton and Braden Hoban and Brazil's Felipe Gustavo) get up against the four SLS tour points leaders.

Portugal’s Gustavo Ribeiro is the top-ranked skater heading into the finals, with France’s Vincent Milou, American Chris Joslin and Olympic champion Horigome Yuto also among the favourites to take the crown.