At an age where most kids are barely watching cartoons and attending primary school, Mazel Paris Alegado — a nine-year-old from Philippines — competed in skateboarding at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Monday. Alegado, who is possibly the youngest athlete at the Asiad, qualified for the women's park final and stood seventh. Japan's Hinano Kusaki, who almost seems like a senior pro in comparison at 15 years of age, won the gold medal. (Medal Tally | Schedule | Streaming | Full Coverage | More Sports News)
Alegado turned nine in March and reportedly has her roots in California. She said she got into skateboarding when she saw her brother doing it while they were at a cousin's house.
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"And I was like, 'Can I try? Can I try?'" she said. "And I got on the board and just loved it."
Talking about her feelings on taking part in such a marquee international event, Alegado said: "I was so excited because I was about to skate the Asian Games — and I just did, so it was so fun!"
Asked if her brother still skates, she replied: "No because he was like, 'Oh dang, she's better than me now', so he stopped."
In the final, Alegado avoided the wooden spoon, which instead went to Taiwanese 11-year-old Lin Yi-fan.
After her performance, the Philippine Olympic Committee tweeted, "Mazel Paris Alegado, our youngest finals qualifier at the #19thAsianGames in Women’s Park skateboarding, claimed the 7th spot . WE ARE ALL PROUD OF YOU!!".
