Meet Rayssa Leal: 16-year-old ‘Little Fairy’ of skateboarding hoping to go one better at Paris 2024 Olympics

RAYSSA Leal is a Brazilian skateboarding sensation who made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the youngest Brazilian athlete ever to compete.

Now, she’s aiming for gold at the Paris Olympics — read on to learn more about her incredible journey.

AFP

Rayssa Leal already made history at the age of 16[/caption]

AFP

Her achievements have brought significant attention to Brazilian skateboarding[/caption]

Getty

Rayssa started skateboarding at the age of six[/caption]

Who is Rayssa Leal?

Rayssa Leal, also known as “Fadinha do Skate” (Skateboarding Fairy), is a Brazilian professional skateboarder born on January 4, 2008.

She began skateboarding when she was six, receiving her first skateboard as a birthday gift from a family friend.

Rayssa first gained prominence when a video of her performing a heelflip in a fairy princess costume went viral in 2015 when she was only 7 years old.

Tony Hawk reposted the video on Twitter and commented: “I don’t know anything about it, but it’s amazing: a fairytale-style heelflip in Brazil.”

She continued to excel in skateboarding, winning various competitions and earning sponsorships.

In 2019, at the age of 11, Rayssa won a silver medal in the street skateboarding event at the World Skateboarding Championships in São Paulo, Brazil, making her one of the youngest medalists in the history of the event.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Rayssa made history as the youngest Brazilian ever to compete in the Games.

She was just 13 years old.

Her exceptional performance in the skateboarding competition earned her the silver medal.

On the day of her victory, Rayssa was 13 years and 203 days old and became the youngest Olympic medalist in almost a century.

Since then, she’s continued to excel, winning the 2021 Street League Skateboarding season opener and her first X Games gold in 2022, followed by victories at the 2022 and 2023 SLS Super Crown events.

Rayssa is participating at the Paris Olympics and said ahead of the games: “I see it as a much greater evolution of Tokyo.

” Because a lot has happened since Tokyo.

“Just seeing my evolution as a person; how much I’ve grown.”

What country does skateboarder Rayssa Leal represent?

Rayssa Leal represents Brazil in skateboarding.

She has competed and represented Brazil in various skateboarding events worldwide, including at the World Skateboarding Championships and in the Olympics.

Rayssa told Olympics.com about Brazilian skateboarding dreams: “Brazil has a lot of talent in skateboarding and sports in general.

“We work hard because we don’t have as many opportunities as other countries.

“That effort and dedication, instilled since childhood, drive us to pursue our dreams relentlessly.

“It’s the strength and drive of the Brazilian spirit that makes the difference.”

When can I watch Rayssa Leal compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics?

To watch Rayssa Leal compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics, you can tune in to the skateboarding events from July 27, 2024 to August 7, 2024

You can catch the games live on Eurosport and the BBC in the UK.