Skateboarding was added as an official event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. In women’s skateboarding in particular, the success of Japan’s teenage athletes has created quite a buzz. This time, we spoke with Coco Yoshizawa, who won the gold medal in women’s Street Skateboarding at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the age of 14. She looked back on the 2024 Games and also discussed with us the appeal of skateboarding and its potential for the future.
How did you first get into skateboarding?
“It all started when I was seven years old. I was taken to a skate park, where my brother, who’s four years older than me and had just taken up skateboarding, was practicing. I tried getting on a skateboard just to see what I could do, but I couldn’t skate the way I had hoped. It can be scary, and it hurts when you fall, plus there’s the risk of getting hurt. To be honest, at that time, I didn’t really find it fun at all.”
What was it that made you want to keep at it despite all that?
“I’m a pretty competitive person, and I don’t like giving up on things. So I kept at it, imitating the tricks that I saw the other skaters in the park do, and eventually I got good at them and became able to compete in competitions. I started to really enjoy it when I was in the fifth grade, when I got first place in the CHIMERA A-SIDE Games. I had competed in it the year before as well, but that time I came in fourth place. I thought that I could get somewhere, but I didn’t get the results that I wanted, and that left me feeling frustrated. So I thought to myself, ‘Next time, I have to get on the podium,’ and practiced really hard for it, and I’ll never forget the happiness and sense of accomplishment I felt when I actually stood at the top of the podium.”
So you could say it was because of your frustration that you put in the effort needed to win the competition.
“Yeah, the fact that I had that feeling of frustration was what gave me the motivation to practice and think about what I needed to do to win the competition. Also, with the friends that I had made through the competition, we could inspire each other, so I think that was a major factor in me becoming able to enjoy competitions.”
So when you were in the sixth grade, just as you started to feel the real joy of competing, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were held.
“When I was watching the Olympics on TV, I really took notice of how high the level of competition was. But it just so happened that I had been practicing the same trick that Momiji Nishiya, who won the gold medal in women’s Street, was doing, so I thought that if I could perfect that trick, then maybe I could compete on the same level.”
Seeing Momiji Nishiya’s success helped you find a new goal, and a year later you made your first appearance at an international competition.
“That competition was held in Rome (World Street Skateboarding Rome 2022), so it was my first time going abroad and speaking to skaters from other countries, so of course I was nervous, but more than that, I was excited. I came in sixth at that competition, and it was a really valuable experience that also put my skills to the test.”
You kept competing in the qualifying series competitions for Paris 2024, coming in third place in Shanghai and first in Budapest, and eventually became the #1 ranked skater in the world. And then you finally earned a spot on the Japanese team.
“I’d become able to compete on an international level, so I was determined to take it as far as I could, and it was a miracle that I managed to finish in first place in Budapest. Winning there was what made it possible for me to go to the Olympics, win a gold medal, and sit down for this interview. It ended up being a major turning point in my life.”
What was the trick that helped you win your first world championship?
“I’d been practicing a trick called the Bigspin Flip Boardslide, where you flip the board once vertically and horizontally, then slide it on the rail, for about two years. I had prepared what I thought was the most difficult trick for me, and I was able to pull it off when it really mattered, which also gave me a lot of confidence.”
Then came the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which was your first Olympic appearance. What was the atmosphere at the Olympics like?
“The number of athletes, the size of the crowds, and the volume of the cheers were all far greater than any other competition I’d been in. I had expected to feel pressure, and I definitely did, but that’s what the Olympics is all about.”
Even in the midst of that atmosphere, you were able to keep from getting overwhelmed, show your true abilities, and win the gold. It was a truly spectacular accomplishment.
“In the finals, the only thing on my mind was nailing the tricks that I had prepared for this competition. I was really happy that all my effort and challenges had paid off.”
It was quite striking to see you looking so relaxed at such a big event, even chatting with the other skaters.
“I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to enjoy the atmosphere of the competition itself. It’s fun to hear the music playing at the venue and the cheering of the crowd, and it gets me really excited. I don’t even really worry about the results when I’m out there skating. My goal is to successfully land the tricks that I’d been preparing and practicing for that day, so once I’m there at the venue, I just have to make the most of the atmosphere and go all out.”
Now that you’re a gold medalist, you must be getting a lot more attention than you were before.
“Yeah, it might be kind of a big deal going from someone who admires people to becoming someone who people admire. But just because I won a gold medal doesn’t mean my everyday life has changed, and I don’t feel that I’ve changed, either. Right now, my goal is the next Olympics, so the only thing I care about right now is further refining my tricks and evolving my style of skating. For that, I need to keep practicing every day. And I intend to keep putting in the effort.”
From your perspective, what is the appeal of skateboarding?
“Skateboarding is a sport where the competitors get along really well with each other, regardless of things like nationality or age. Even if I’m competing with someone for rank in a tournament, we both know that we’ve been practicing hard for it, so even if they pull off a trick and end up outranking me, I can still honestly see them and think, ‘Wow, they totally nailed that!’ I think this sense of comradery is both a distinctive feature and a major appeal of skateboarding.”
What are some places in Tokyo that you recommend for people visiting for sporting events and such?
“My first recommendation would be Livedoor URBAN SPORTS PARK, which was the venue for the skateboarding events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It’s quite difficult as far as skate parks go, but it should be inspiring to know that that’s the same course that world-class skaters took on at the Olympics. Of course, there are also a lot of parts of it that can be enjoyed more casually, so I definitely recommend checking it out. Also, I personally love sweets, so I’d definitely recommend a sweets tour of Omotesando, where my favorite donut shop is, and the Harajuku area.”
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YOSHIZAWA Coco
Born in 2009 in Kanagawa Prefecture. Began skateboarding at the age of seven. Placed 5th in the women’s Street event at the 2021 Japan Skateboarding Championships. In the qualifying series competitions held abroad for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, she placed 6th in Rome, 3rd in Shanghai, and 1st in Budapest, and was selected to be on the Japanese Olympic Team. Won the gold medal in the women’s Skateboarding Street event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Member of ACT sb store.
