Of all the international skaters at Pro Tour STU Rio, British Skye Brown is the most famous and beloved by the Brazilian public. Perhaps that’s why she looked so at home in her debut on the Rio stage this Friday, in Barra da Tijuca’s Plaza do O. Showing that she is very comfortable with the energy of the track and the stands, she put in a great performance and earned the second highest score (83.46) in the first stage of the Women’s Park, justifying herself as one of the favorites to win. The owner of one world title and two Olympic bronze medals, she was one of 12 to advance to the semi-finals this Saturday afternoon.
Another teenager had the highest score among the 16 participants. 15-year-old Japanese Mizuho Hasegawa has already won a world skatepark title and finished runner-up in Global Bart. She performed an impressive rap that included the applauded “alley-oop” (a maneuver in which a skateboarder jumps and holds the skateboard in the air to move from the shallow end of the track to the bottom), earning her a score of 85.68.
The Brazilian player received the third highest score in this category. Raikka Ventura also came through with a score of 82.50 in the same heat as Sky. The 18-year-old from São Paulo ended his presentation on a high note with a 360-degree turn that made him “fly” on the track. Raikka’s resume includes a world championship win and a silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
This Friday, 16 athletes were divided into four heats in the first phase of Women’s Park. Each was entitled to three 45-second laps, and only the best laps were considered for the final score. The top three finishers from each heat qualified to participate. Dora Barrera and Isadora Pacheco also performed well and will represent Brazil in the semi-finals along with Raikka.
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