Skateboarder Yuto Horigome, the 22-year-old gold medalist in the men's street event in skateboarding's debut as an Olympic sport, has also become a local hero.
The Tokyo Olympics venue for skateboarding is Ariake Urban Sports Park in Koto Ward, where Horigome grew up.
He honed his skills at neighboring parks before moving to the United States, where he became a professional skateboarder.
"I will become the best skater in the world," Horigome wrote in an essay when he was in the sixth grade of elementary school. "I want to go to the United States, where the sport started, to practice it more."
From that time on, the skateboarder told people around him that he wanted to build a mansion with a skate park.
Before Horigome even formed memories, his father, Ryota, now a 46-year-old taxi driver, would take him to parks as his father used to skateboard.
Horigome began participating in competitions overseas when he was in elementary school. Meanwhile, his father hardly took a day off as a taxi driver to make enough money for his expeditions, even offering to wash fellow drivers' taxis.
In 2016 at age 17, Horigome moved to the United States and subsequently won in a number of professional leagues. His performances have been described as effortless, gaining popularity for his ability to pull off spectacular tricks with seeming ease.
In autumn last year, Horigome bought a four-bedroom house with a practice space in Los Angeles, fulfilling his American dream.
Behind his success, Horigome has always valued what his father taught him. While it's good to watch videos of foreign skateboarders to study them, his father said, you won't win if you just imitate others.
"Originality is essential to succeed in the world," his father told him.
In Sunday's competition, what brought him the gold medal was a new trick that he performed for the first time. He had been in fourth place until the midway point of the final, but in his third attempt at a trick he succeeded with this new trick he had been reserving for the Olympics.
Horigome pumped his fist when he landed the trick and secured the come-from-behind victory by succeeding with his fourth and final fifth trick.
"I was born in Koto Ward, so I'm happy to win the gold medal here," Horigome said.
His next target: "To buy a bigger house in the United States."
"I can't believe that he's my son," a humbled Ryota Horigome said. "I'm thankful to everyone who supported us."
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
