Liz Akama won a Paris Olympic qualifying street skateboarding event for the first time Sunday, while Sora Shirai finished second in the men's category.
Having finished fourth in the previous two qualifiers, the 14-year-old Akama rose to the top in Rome by scoring 263.90 points. She was awarded 90.07 in her fifth and final best-trick attempt to move above Chloe Covell of Australia.
"I've never managed to get onto the podium so I'm really happy," Akama said after landing a trick that she had not practiced once at the venue. "I feel I got a bit closer to the Olympics."
Of the four other Japanese to reach the eight-woman final, Yumeka Oda was third with 246.38 points, Miyu Ito finished fifth, Aoi Uemura sixth and Tokyo Olympic street gold medalist Momiji Nishiya was eighth.
Tokyo Olympian Shirai scored 263.36 in the men's street event as American star and winner of the first qualifying event Nyjah Huston came out victorious with 276.51.
"I showed I can do it," said Shirai, who scored 93.16 with his fourth run in the best trick phase. "It went perfectly when a mistake would have put me in a bad position, and I felt joy like never before."
The fourth qualifying event will take place in Lausanne, Switzerland, in September.
