TOKYO (Reuters) -Yuto Horigome of Japan claimed the first Olympic gold medal in skateboarding after recovering his composure with high-scoring tricks in the final rounds held in his hometown of Tokyo on Sunday. In a nail-biting final, Horigome stumbled through the two initial runs, but regained his signature cool in landing four of the five final tricks, earning 9.50 for a nollie backside 270. While Eaton and other competitors bobbed their heads to their Airpods, Horigome remained focused through the finals. At one point after he tripped during his two runs, a frustrated Horigome put his head in his hands. Despite the Olympic approval, skateboarding is still seen as a public nuisance and street skaters are often chased off property by police in Japan.
