The Youngest Tokyo Olympics Medalist Is Only 12 Years Old

youngest Tokyo Olympics medalist Kokona Hiraki Tokyo Olympics Sakura Yosozumi Skateboarding 12-year-old Olympic medalist Hokkaido Team Japan Minako Hiraki Sky Brown Young Medalist Suni Lee Lyndia Jacoby Anastasija Zolotic Athing Mu

By Lilian Scott , Parent Herald Aug 08, 10:56 am

History was made at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the inclusion of skateboarding as an Olympic sport for the very first time. From this game came the youngest Tokyo Olympics medalist, a 12-year-old-girl named Kokona Hiraki.

The young athlete, born in 2008, took home the silver medal in the women's park competition for skateboarding. Her fellow Japanese skater, Sakura Yosozumi, 19, nabbed the gold in the same category.

Hiraki's win was another history-making event as there has not been a 12-year-old Olympic medalist since 1936, when 12-year-old Inge Sorenson of Denmark took home a bronze at the 200-meter swimming competition during the Berlin Olympics.

The young skater has also become Japan's youngest medalist after 13-year-old Momiji Nishaya, who won the gold at the street event a week before Hiraki competed.

Who is Kokona Hiraki

A native of Hokkaido, the youngest Tokyo Olympics medalist said that she enjoyed her qualifying tryouts in 2019. She told The Japan Times that she wasn't nervous at all, securing her ticket and spot to win for Team Japan in Tokyo.

Before her Olympic stint, she was already competiting at international events, such as the World Championships in 2018 and the X-Games in 2019. She currently ranks as the 67th most skilled skater in the world and has secured a Vans endorsement because of her talent and skills.

Her mother, Minako Hiraki, takes care of her Instagram, where photos of her accomplisments are regularly shared to her fans and followers.

A post shared by instagram

Skateboarding was added to the Olympics to boost viewership and interest from the younger audience. Skater Sky Brown, who beat Hiraki, was also the youngest medalist for Team Great Britain. Incidentally, Brown is half-Japanese and was born in Miyazaki to a Japanese mom.

Among the male skaters, 18-year-old Keegan Palmer of Australia dominated the ramp, beating 26-year-old Brazilian skater Pedro Barros and 22-year-old American skater Cory Juneau.

Other Young Medalist at the Tokyo Olympics

Outside of skateboarding, there were plenty of other talented young athletes at the Tokyo Olympics as well.

Quan Honchan of China is only 14 years old but she impressed the judges during the diving competition. In the syncrhonized swimming event, Chen Yuxi, 15, and Zhang Jiaqi, 17, of China won gold medals.

In Taekwondo, the gold medalist was an 18-year-old from Russia, Anastasija Zolotic, while another 18-year-old, Alberto Ginés López from Spain, became the first gold medalist for sport climbing. Athing Mu, 19, became the first American to nab a gold in the track and field category since 1964. The second person to come after Mu was Keely Hodgkinson, 19, from Great Britain.

In swimming, Team USA's Lyndia Jacoby, 17, was a force in the water after winning the 100-meter breaststroke. She was even shocked to beat reigning champ Lilly King. Team USA's Suni Lee, 18, became gymnatic's darling at the Tokyo Olympics winning bronze, silver and a gold medal in three different categories. Japan's Daiki Hashimoto was the youngest men's gymnastics medalist at 19 years old.

Lastly, Hannah Roberts, 19, was the silver medalist at another new category for this year's Olympics, the BMX Freestyle competition.