Three talented teenage girls lined the podium for Street Skateboarding at this year’s summer Olympics in Tokyo. Aged 13, 13, and 16, these young kids earned well deserved medals. Momiji Nishiya with gold, Rayssa Leal with silver, and Funa Nakayama with bronze, all managed to land a variety of impressive tricks throughout Olympic competition. These girls have many excited for the bright future of women’s skateboarding.
It is skateboarding’s first time on such a largely viewed platform and other young girls from across the world may have had the chance to watch these incredible young athletes perform. Skateboarding, an already rapidly growing sport in the demographic of young girls, attracted a lot of attention. Some see this sport as an opportunity for empowerment for female athletes because it is an expressive, individualistic sport, that can allow its athletes to go against social norms.
Hopefully, skateboarding being on the Olympic stage will cause an increase in attention to the sport and a rise in opportunities available and quality of opportunities for young women interested in the sport, including more likelihood of the establishment of policies that can empower young athletes like those on the podium in Tokyo, a higher possibility of parents letting their kids skateboard, and a level playing field for all genders.
Taylor Z
Sport, Not Games ⚽ 