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TOKYO — The formidable team of skateboarders from Japan continued their stellar performance at the Olympics, and on Wednesday took the gold and silver medals in the women’s park competition, ending the gold medal hopes of 13-year-old Sky Brown.
Sakura Yosozumi, 19, won the event under the blistering midday sun at Ariake Urban Sports Park. Her winning score of 60.09 put her just a point ahead of 12-year-old Kokona Hiraki.
Brown, who grew up in Japan, lives in California and competed for Britain, finished third to earn the bronze medal.
A victory by Hiraki or Brown would have made either one the youngest gold medalist in Olympics history. The official distinction remains with Marjorie Gestring, a diver who won at age 13 years and 268 days at the 1936 Berlin Games.
Brown stumbled in her first two runs of the final, but skated flawlessly on the pressure-packed third. She raised her arms in the air, climbed out of the bowl and knelt on the deck, then got hugs from her competitors.
The judges were less impressed, and gave her a score of 56.47, putting her in third place.
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