British teenager Sky Brown has become the new skateboarding world champion, after previously claiming the title aged 14.
The 17-year-old, who celebrated her win in Brazil with her father, former skateboarder Stewart Brown, said: “This feels huge and I’m so thankful.”
But, she added, referring to the conflict in the Middle East: “There are bigger things and I just pray for peace for the world.”
The competition in Sao Paolo, on Sunday was initially delayed due to “adverse weather conditions and recurrent rainfall”.
The finalists had completed two of the planned four runs when organisers decided to “stick with the results” as more rain was pelting the venue, making it unsafe for skaters to use the bowl.
Officials announced Brown, who was leading with nearly four points at 88.16, as the winner. Japan’s Mizuho Hasegawa took the silver with a score of 84.36, while American Minna Stess came third with 83.90 points.
“The level is crazy. I had to put a lot down to get here, but I am definitely bummed that we couldn’t fully do a final,” Brown told World Skate after her win.
“But to win, to be a world champ on International Women’s Day means a lot.”
Brown is now ranked 7th in the world, with 15-year-old Hasegawa, who shared a hug with Brown after the British teenager won the world championship, leading the table.
Brown previously claimed the title aged 14 at the World Championships in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, with a best score of 90.83 from her three runs.
She also became Great Britain’s youngest Olympic medal winner of all time when she won a bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games at the age of 13.
She took home another bronze medal in the park competition at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, just a week after dislocating her shoulder.
The skateboarder, who was born in Miyazaki, Japan, to her Japanese mother, Mieko, and British father – Mr Brown – competed at the US Open in 2016 at the age of eight, and first elected to compete for Great Britain in 2018.
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Skateboarding was one of four new sports added to the Olympics in 2020, with skateboarding events held in both “park” and “street” categories of the sport.
