Sky Brown earns X Games 2022 skateboard park gold
The British teenager beats Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Yosozumi Sakura of Japan who claims silver with compatriot Hiraki Kokona bagging bronze.
Skateboarding
Teenage Brit Sky Brown won X Games skateboard park gold in Southern California, USA, on Saturday (23 July) beating the Japanese pair of Yosozumi Sakura and Hiraki Kokona into silver and bronze, respectively.
The trio swapped the podium places they achieved at the inaugural skateboarding event at an Olympic Games, at Tokyo 2020 last summer, in which Yosozumi claimed top spot in park at her home Games, with Hiraki winning silver and Brown the bronze, particularly impressive after a nasty fall left her with a fractured skull a year before the Games.
Sky Brown's perspective
'You gotta do what makes you happy,’ Brown posted on social media in May. The 14-year-old was talking about going surfing with her mates in Brazil but what also makes the Brit happy is competing to the best of her ability and if that comes with a medal, then so be it. If that medal is gold, well even better. Hence her big smile on completion of her final run.
Brown took the lead in the second run with a powerful trick-filled run and did not relinquish top spot despite Yosozumi's best effort. A nasty fall on a final run for the Japanese put a damper on celebrations, however.
Yosozumi had won gold at the most recent X Games event in Chiba, the first time a Summer X Games has taken place in Japan, however, Brown did not compete at that event so this meet in Vista was a proper showdown of the top stars in the sport.
The competition also showcased the strength of the Japanese after so much success at their home Games with five of the 10 starters in the women's park event from Japan.
Hiraki, who learned to skateboard with her mother after watching the sport on TV raised her game in the third run but stayed in bronze-medal position.
X Games Summer 2022: Final day skateboarding schedule
The X Games Summer 2022 final day in skateboarding sees the women’s street contest on Sunday 24 July at 12pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time – UTC-7) and men's park 2pm PDT.
How to watch X Games Summer 2022
X Games Summer 2022 will be available to those in the US on ESPN+.
For those outside of the US you can find all the information on where the event is streaming here.