Ten-year-old skateboarding sensation Sky Brown, who had been a medal hope for Japan at next year's Tokyo Olympics, on Thursday opted to qualify under the British flag.
Videos of Sky Brown, who began skating before she could walk, have gone viral with over 50 million views, and her Instagram account already has more than 300,000 followers. AFP/File/Behrouz MEHRI
“I chose to compete for Britain because they told me ‘Have fun, there’s no pressure!’ — and I feel like that’s the best way for me to skate my best,” said Japan-based Brown, the world’s youngest professional skateboarder.Japanese skate officials struggled to match Britain’s technical know-how and structure, leaving Brown to make a difficult choice — and one which could potentially cost the Olympic host nation a medal.
“Japan has good depth in women’s skateboarding,” he noted, pointing to teenagers Sakura Yosozumi and Kisa Nakamura.Brown will hope to become Britain’s youngest-ever summer Olympian at the 2020 Tokyo Games at just 12.Videos of Brown, who began skating before she could walk, have gone viral with over 50 million views, and her Instagram account already has more than 300,000 followers.
Despite her outrageous talent, the teeny boarder, who stands just 1.34 metres has faced resistance from some event organisers reluctant to allow her to compete and risk embarrassing established skaters.
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