Meet Japan’s teenage Olympic champion Momiji Nishiya – the 13-year-old girl who just won skateboarding gold at Tokyo 2020

For skateboarding’s Olympic debut, it was a head-to-head battle between the youngest Olympians of all time. And as it turns out, the kids aren’t just all right ... they’re awesome! A 13-year-old skateboarder from Japan, Momiji Nishiya, took home the gold at the Tokyo 2020 games on Monday after outscoring Brazil’s Rayssa Leal at the city’s Ariake Urban Sports Park. A 4.66-point bigspin to frontside boardslide put Nishiya into the lead, while her final backslide boardslide delivered her the gold. But other than her slick tricks, here’s what we know about the teenage trailblazer ... 6 celebs who went (or nearly went) to the Olympics She thought “it’d be nice” to get a medal Speaking to reporters at the Tokyo Games after she won gold, the hometown favourite said, “I wasn’t too worried about getting a medal. It was like, it’d be nice if I can get one.” Nishiya’s score of 15.26 secured her win, as well as the honour of being the second-youngest champion in Olympic history. She is also officially the youngest Japanese Olympic champion and the first ever female Olympic skateboarding champion. It certainly does sound pretty “nice”, although that might be an understatement. Do you miss Japan or Thailand? 5 destination-themed Hong Kong staycations She’s an Osaka native Specifically, Nishiya comes from Matsubara in Osaka. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Momiji Nishiya (@momiji_nishiya830) In addition to being known as the food capital of Japan, the city’s Osaka Daggers crew are often credited for the popularity of Japan’s skateboarding subculture that took off some 20 years before Nishiya’s Olympic debut. Osaka is also home to many skateboard parks and shops. The 10 richest Olympians – and no, it’s not Federer or Mayweather at the top Her idea of a celebration? Bring on the beef And in true Osaka foodie style, Nishiya told reporters she would “go and eat at a beef barbecue restaurant” to celebrate her victory. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Momiji Nishiya (@momiji_nishiya830) There is also a hint on Nishiya’s Instagram that the skater is quite partial to a good steak. Nishiya is pictured at a restaurant specialising in rib-eye steak don, or rice bowls, with the hashtags (translated): “#MeatLover #SteakBowl”. Where to see cherry blossoms in Asia, from Korea to Vietnam Regular, not goofy Figuring out your stance is a part of every skater's journey. Nishiya has a regular stance, which means she stands with her left foot in front and pushes with her right foot. A “goofy” rider, like Tony Hawk, uses their left foot to push. Meet Hazel Moder, Julia Roberts’ 16-year-old daughter Impressive sponsors It's always a big deal when a skateboarder gets sponsored, and Nishiya’s partners even before her Olympic glory were industry titans. Before more young girls go off to buy their own skateboards like Nishiya, it might be worth mentioning that the 13-year-old is sponsored by Element Japan and Pro-Tec, if her Instagram bio is anything to go by. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Momiji Nishiya (@momiji_nishiya830) For the budding ripper, a Pro-Tec helmet, wrist guards, kneepads and elbow pads are perhaps just as important as the board! Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.