Skateboarder Momiji Nishiya becomes Japan's youngest gold medal winner ever at 13


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Momiji Nishiya is just 13 years old, but she's already taking home gold at the Olympics.
Nishiya won gold in women's street skateboarding at the Olympics on Monday, which made her one of the youngest gold medal winners ever, CBS News reports. She also became Japan's youngest gold medal winner, Reuters notes, as well as the first person to win a gold medal in women's street skateboarding, which made its Olympics debut in Tokyo this year. Horigome Yuto of Japan previously won gold in men's street skateboarding.
The youngest gold medalist in history is still diver Marjorie Gestring, who won at the 1936 Berlin Games, The New York Times notes. She was 13 years old, but slightly younger than Nishiya, at the time.
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"I'm so happy to win the Olympics in Japan, and I'm so happy to win my first Olympics as one of the youngest competitors," Nishiya said, per the Tokyo Organizing Committee.
Nishiya also declared, when asked about her future goals, "I want to be the famous one who everyone in the world knows. I want to win at Paris 2024 too."
Meanwhile, 13-year-old Rayssa Leal won the silver medal, also becoming the youngest Olympic medalist from Brazil, CBS News notes.
"I feel very happy," Leal said. "I made history at 13 years old. I hope I can be at many other Olympic Games."
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Brendan is a staff writer at The Week. A graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in journalism, he also writes about horror films for Bloody Disgusting and has previously contributed to The Cheat Sheet, Heavy, WhatCulture, and more. He lives in New York City surrounded by Star Wars posters.
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