Minneapolis (USA) (AFP)
Three-of-a-kind apples and breathtakingly beautiful: Gui and Cocona, 10, and Sky, just 11 years old, made a splash at the X Games in Minneapolis by signing figures of unimaginable age, a new twist in the world. skateboarding world.
At 10 years and 7 months, the Brazilian Gui Khury has offered a first record, the youngest ever athlete to participate in the X Games, the big celebration of alternative sports, created in 1995 by the American TV channel ESPN.
He split Thursday in qualifying an iconic skateboard street tricks, a 900 (two and a half laps), which he sent for the first time when he was 8 years old. This tricks was successful for the first time in history 20 years ago by legend Tony Hawk, when he was 31 years old ...
The Brazilian is like a new and very young generation. For the 2019 edition of the X Games - which has about 50 athletes in all sports - 9 athletes are under 15 years, 6 of which do not exceed 12 years (there is no age limit imposed), all skateboarders, from Japan or Brazil, two countries where skate parks are developing, helping to attract young people.
- Girls in strength -
With a clear domination of girls: of the 9 very young recruits, 7 are girls.
Cocona Hiraki is Japanese and at 10 years and 11 months, she became Friday the youngest X Games athlete, girls and boys alike, to be medal winner having won the money on the park event.
Fellow Sky Brown, who has just turned 11, sent Friday in the final of the park, at his very first participation in the X Games, a figure still never returned by a woman, a frontside 540 (a lap and a half in the air).
The skater, who has dual Japanese and British nationality, is already a superstar and likes to skate in a park in Myazaki in the morning before skating at 7:30 am for school, bluffing her world with her ability to slip on the ramps and propel herself into the air.
"I think I skate since I was born! Skate has always been my favorite toy, it makes me happy and it's super fun", tells AFP who thinks only of one thing: fun.
Without pressure but as a pro, she competes with the best, keeping this carelessness of the child, surrounded by the benevolence of his parents and always accompanied by his little brother Ocean, 7 years old.
- 'Younger' -
In the running to represent Great Britain at the next Olympics in Tokyo, where skateboarding will be coming, she hopes her popularity will encourage other girls to go out to the skate park. Because she does not like to skate alone!
"The first generation of girls at the X Games was just 5 years ago, it's crazy to say!" Said Tim Reed, vice president of X Games.
"When we look at all the events we propose, these are disciplines whose targets are young people, with a lot of practice in the park.In the rally, you do not see a 10-year-old kid who drives a car. of our strategy, we want to be younger, more suitable for kids, we want more park, and park for girls, "says Reed.
Added to this is the Olympic effect, which has undeniably boosted the practice and raised the level for 4 years and the announcement of the skateboard incorporating the Games.
© 2019 AFP