YUTO HORIGOME won the first-ever skateboarding competition at the Olympic Games, taking gold in men’s street yesterday in the city where he learned to skate as a kid and where his sport is often frowned upon. The first skateboarding silver went to Brazilian Kelvin Hoefler, who used to sleep with his board when he first fell in love with skating as a young boy. U.S. skater Jagger Eaton took bronze. He celebrated by whipping his phone out of his pocket and broadcasting live on Instagram. Skateboarding’s Olympic debut delivered exactly what the Games’ organizers had hoped for: a high-adrenaline show of thrills and lots of spills from athletes plugged into younger audiences. (SD-Agencies) |