Sakura Yosozumi

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Sakura Yosozumi
四十住さくら

| image = XGames-Chiba-2022 2022-04-24 0348.jpg

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| caption = Yosozumi at X Games Chiba 2022

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| native_name = 四十住さくら

| native_name_lang = ja

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| nationality = Japanese

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|03|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Iwade,{{cite web|url=https://hochi.news/articles/20210804-OHT1T51134.html|title=スケボー金メダルの四十住さくらはこんな１９歳…子供の頃の夢は「保育園の先生」|publisher=Hochi Shimbun|accessdate=2021-08-05|language=ja}} Wakayama, Japan

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| height = 159 cm (2018)

| weight = 52 kg (2018)

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| country = Japan

| sport = Skateboarding

| position = Regular footed

| rank = 3rd{{cite web |title=Olympic World Skateboarding Rankings – Park, Female |url=https://www.worldskate.org/skateboarding/ranking-paris-2024.html |website=World Skate |access-date=6 August 2024 |language=en |date=6 August 2024}}

| event = Park, bowl

| league = Dew Tour
Vans Park Series

| league_type = Pro tour(s)

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{{Medal|Country|{{JPN}}}}

}}

{{nihongo|Sakura Yosozumi|四十住さくら{{cite web |title=【海外・INFO】TWS PARK : SAKURA YOSOZUMI – 四十住さくらが、トランスワールドパークを攻略。 |trans-title=(Foreign Competitor Info) TWS Park: Sakura Yosozumi, Trans World Park Profile|url=http://www.californiastreet.net/skateboard-mag/world-info/tws-park-sakura-yosozumi.html |website=California Street |access-date=4 September 2018 |language=Japanese}}|Yosozumi Sakura|born 15 March 2002}}{{cite web |title=YOSOZUMI Sakura |url=https://en.asiangames2018.id/athletes/athlete/YOSOZUMI-Sakura-3006758/ |access-date=4 September 2018 |work=Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Palembang|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904153801/https://en.asiangames2018.id/athletes/athlete/YOSOZUMI-Sakura-3006758/|archivedate=2018-09-04}} is a Japanese professional skateboarder. She won gold medals in the inaugural women's park events at the Asian Games, in 2018, and at the Olympic Games, in 2021.{{Cite news|last=Branch|first=John|date=2021-08-03|title=Japan wins its third skateboarding gold medal of the Games, in women's park.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/03/sports/olympics/skateboarding-tokyo-park-sky-brown.html|access-date=2021-08-04|issn=0362-4331}}

Career

Yosozumi started skateboarding in 2013 and was influenced by her older brother to take up the sport. In September 2017, it was reported that on weekdays she trained for five hours after attending school.{{fact|date=August 2022}}

=World Cup=

At the 2016 World Cup Skateboarding which was hosted in Tokyo, she competed in the women's park event where she finished 29th among competitors. She returned in the 2018 edition hosted in Orange, California and competed in the bowl event instead where she placed sixth.

=Vans Park Series=

Yosozumi skated at the 2017 Vans Park Series (VPS) Asian Championships in Singapore where she finished third. At the women's division of the VPS Pro Tour in Brazil in June 2018, Yosozumi claimed the top spot by outbesting Yndiara Asp of Brazil and Brighton Zeuner of the United States.{{cite news |title=Tom Schaar & Sakura Yosozumi Champions Of Vans Park Series Brazil |url=http://www.boardsportsource.com/2018/06/06/tom-schaar-sakura-yosozumi-conquer-the-sao-paulo-field-for-vans-park-series-brazil-victory/ |access-date=4 September 2018 |work=Board Sport Source |date=6 June 2018}} At the Huntington Beach, California leg, she finished second in the qualifying round,{{cite news |title=Vans Park Series Pro Tour Heats Up in Huntington Beach California |url=http://juicemagazine.com/home/vans-park-series-pro-tour-heats-up-in-huntington-beach-california/ |access-date=4 September 2018 |work=Juice Magazine |date=3 August 2018}} though she failed to reach the podium in the final and finished fifth overall.{{Cite web |title=Contest Results: Vans Park Series Global Qualifiers at Huntington Beach Womens Finals |url=https://theboardr.com/results/5481/Vans-Park-Series-Global-Qualifiers-at-Huntington-Beach-Womens-Finals |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=The Boardr}}

=X Games=

Yosuzumi competed at X Games Minneapolis 2018 in the women's park event. She finished second in the qualifying round while she obtain a bronze medal in the final behind gold medalist Brighton Zeuner and Sabre Norris of Australia.{{cite news |title=Japan's action sports stars claim podium finishes at X Games Minneapolis |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2018/07/0c74118de5da-japans-action-sports-stars-claim-podium-finishes-at-x-games-minneapolis.html |access-date=4 September 2018 |agency=Kyodo News |date=27 June 2018}}

=Asian Games=

She represented Japan at the 2018 Asian Games, hosted in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia. Yosozumi claimed one of Japan's three gold medals in the skateboard discipline after topping the rankings of the women's park event. She performed ahead of silver medalist and compatriot Kaya Isa and bronze medalist Zhang Xin of China.{{cite news |title=Ramping up Olympic preps: Japan wins 3 skateboarding golds |url=https://www.whig.com/article/20180829/AP/308299951# |access-date=4 September 2018 |work=Herald Wing |agency=The Associated Press |date=29 August 2018}}

= Olympics =

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Yosozumi competed in the first-ever Olympic women's park skateboarding event, in which she claimed the gold medal with a best score of 60.09.{{Cite magazine|last=Coleman|first=Madeline|title=Japan Goes 1-2 in First-Ever Women's Park Skateboarding|url=https://www.si.com/olympics/2021/08/04/sakura-yosozumi-wins-first-ever-olympics-womens-park-skateboarding-gold-medal|access-date=2021-08-04|magazine=Sports Illustrated|language=en-us}} She narrowly bested compatriot Kokona Hiraki, who took silver with a 59.04 score, and Team GB competitor Sky Brown, who took bronze with a 56.47 score.{{Cite web|date=2021-08-04|title=Skateboarding, Women's Park – Results Summary|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/SKB/OG2020-_SKB_C74P_SKBWPARK--------------------------.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804051230/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/SKB/OG2020-_SKB_C74P_SKBWPARK--------------------------.pdf|archive-date=2021-08-04|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Tokyo 2020 Olympics at Olympics.com}}{{Cite web|date=2021-08-04|title=Japan's Yosozumi wins battle of teens for Olympic skateboarding|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/4/skateboarding-teens-tweens-from-japan-uk-shred-to-victory|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Al Jazeera English|language=en}}