Mazel Paris Alegado: The nine-year-old skateboard sensation taking Asian Games 2023 by storm
The skateboarder is the youngest member of the Philippines team. She finished seventh in the women’s park final.
Skateboarding
While most nine-year-olds are busy learning how to spell and tackle multiplication in primary school, Mazel Paris Alegado of the Philippines is showing off her skateboarding skills at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Alegado - who is thought to be the youngest participant at the Games - made it through to the women’s skateboarding park final on Monday (25 September), finishing in seventh place out of the eight finalists.
“I was so excited because I was about to skate in the Asian Games, and I just did. So, it was so fun," she said in an interview with the Asian Games after her run.
The Filipina, now living in the United States, was inspired by her brother to take up the sport.
"We were at my cousin's house, and I saw my brother skateboarding and I was like, 'Can I try? Can I try?' I got on the board and just loved it," she explained, and added that her brother is no longer active in skateboarding.
"No, because he was like, 'Oh dang, she's better than me now', so he stopped."
Having just battled with some of the best skateboarders on the continent at the Asian Games, Alegado revealed that she has big ambitions for the future.
"I'm really proud that I got here. My dream is to be a pro skater. I would love to go to the Olympics," she told Japan Today.
The women’s park event title was won by 15-year-old Kusaki Hinano of Japan.