The bright young athlete who’s dreamt of Olympics glory her whole life — all 11 years of it

The Olympic Games are the pinnacle for many sports stars. Even in sports such as soccer and rugby, where the World Cup is the most important medal a player can win in their career, an Olympic medal is welcome.

In some instances, elite athletes spend their entire careers attempting to just qualify for the Olympics. Without success. Then on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are athletes that reach the Games while still trying to make a name for themselves in their respective sports.

The organisers of the Olympic Games themselves don’t have an age restriction for competitors. Which means the onus falls on the individual global sports federations in charge of the various Olympic sporting codes. 

For example, American Simon Biles could have travelled to London for the 2012 Games. However, the International Gymnastics Federation has an age limit of 16 for its Olympic participants. So, Biles, who was 15 years old at the time of the London Olympics, could not compete for a spot at the tournament.

Other sporting codes do not have such a stringent age limit however. This includes one of the most recent sporting codes to be added at the Games – skateboarding. The sport made its maiden Olympic appearance at Tokyo 2020 (which took place in 2021 due to Covid).

At the Paris Games, some of the youngest athletes present come from skateboarding. The youngest this year is 11-year-old Zheng Haohao of China.

In pre-Paris 2024 interviews with Chinese media, Zheng said she has dreamt of being at the Olympics all her life. She has quickly ticked off that dream from her life’s goals, despite not even being a teenager yet.

“I’m very proud of myself. I feel tired and happy,” said Zheng, who did not make it to the final of her event and finished 18th overall.

“Honestly, I wasn’t too nervous. My family was here cheering me on. I’m very happy. It was an experience to be here. I’d like to come back in Los Angeles 2028,” she added.

Then there is Japanese starlet Kokona Hiraki, who will leave Paris as one of the youngest competitors with multiple Olympic medals.

Hiraki possesses two skateboarding park event silver medals after winning one at the previous Games on home turf, aged 12. 

In Paris, she added to her collection by finishing second behind Australian Arisa Trew, who herself is one of the youngest gold medallists at Paris 2024, at 14 years old.

“She’s leading the way of what’s possible in skateboarding and in women’s skateboarding. And we’re just lucky to have her. That run right there could have won any event,” legendary American skater Tony Hawk said of Trew’s performance after her gold medal in Paris.  

Old pro

Sixteen-year-old Sky Brown of Team Great Britain competes on 6 August 2024 during the Women’s Park Preliminary of the Skateboarding competition in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at La Concorde in Paris, France. (Photo: Alex Pantling / Getty Images)